Better the Devil You Know
by KGaki
Summary: The Konoha District is home to some of the most disturbed minds. Now, Naruto Uzumaki has become the center of all of their attention. SasuNaru
1. Before it Begins

**Prologue**

"No!" You don't understand," the flustered young man groaned, finally catching the attention of everybody in the lobby. Immediately, he noticed the eyes of the few visitors who sat nervously in their cushioned seats; they were probably put on edge by the fact that he had resorted to yelling. He was hoping that his entrance would be discrete and painless enough, but it was already turning out to be more than a bit hopeless. "I'm not a patient. I'm a therapist."

The blonde woman, with the nametag "Ino" pinned to her tightly buttoned blouse, finally tore her pale blue eyes from her computer screen in order to scrutinize him further. Her expression became more incredulous, shifting from the previous expression of utter boredom as she raised a brow in speculation. "A therapist? How old are you?" she asked though her tone still suggested disbelief.

"Old enough for it to be none of your business!" he answered through gritted teeth, his patience gradually failing him no matter how long he tried to endure. There was only so much he could take when things were not going the way he had expected.

"Right," she replied with a skeptical nod before she turned her attention back to the computer. "So, is your visit court ordered or voluntary?"

"For the love of—"

"Ino, could you refrain from tormenting our apprentices?" a voice cut in before he could mutter any of his colorful replies.

"Apprentice?" she asked with a glance back to the disgruntled youth. "You want to learn _here_?"

"Wanting has got nothing to do with it," he mumbled under his breath before turning to the other person standing behind the counter. "Are you Kakashi?"

"I am," the silver haired man answered with a welcoming smile. "You are Naruto Uzumaki?"

"I am!"he affirmed with a quick smug look to Ino who rolled her eyes.

"Thank you for arriving on such short notice. When we lost one of ours for sudden leave of absence, I couldn't think to call anyone but Iruka," Kakashi explained with a beckon towards his office. "Who knew he would have taken on such a young apprentice."

"It's a long story," Naruto assured with a weak smile. A long story that he no longer had the energy to tell. If he had to guess, he'd say that Kakashi and his guardian, Iruka, were old colleagues. There was actually very little he knew about that man who had taken him in many years ago, but there was always enough understanding to figure out that they both needed one another. Iruka was the kind of man who never indulged in bringing up tales of the past, but even without that knowledge Naruto trusted him more than anyone.

He took a second to look around the spacious office. All the furniture was dark green felt with mahogany bookshelves lining the two far walls. The long couch to the right of his desk must have meant he held sessions in his own office. His diplomas were lined down the wall directly behind his chair along with carious achievements and certifications, further reminding all those who chanced to gander at the wall the he was _very_ capable of doing the job right. The room was simplistic in design and décor, but it was that one wall that truly revealed the importance of the man before him.

"You seem taken with this office, Naruto," Kakashi spoke up as he took his seat.

"I'm just admiring your lack of personality," the blond mumbled as he sat in the chair across from him.

"Hey!" Kakashi yelped defensively with a stressed point to the couch. "At least you know my favorite color!"

"Right," Naruto replied with a quick look toward the bookcase. "No pictures, no personal belongings or even favorite books."

"That information is relative don't you think?" Kakashi added with a sly smile as he leaned forward into his palms. At a closer look, he realized that the other man was quite striking. He had slender features, yet they were defined in the sharp angles of his face, seeming somehow weary. Perfectly symmetrical with a pair of dark eyes gazing almost listlessly at anything; it was as if he did not care for whatever he looked at one way or the other. Aside from the shimmering spiky locks of silver, his most defining feature was most definitely the long scar that trailed over his left eye and down to the middle of his cheek. What the hell could have done that?

"What do you mean by relative?"

Kakashi gestured to the couch once more. "To whom I'd want to share that information with."

That made sense. Naruto had no idea of the patients they held in the Konoha District, but to make visits to the assistant head doctor you'd have to be a very particular case.

"I guess that's true," Naruto huffed thoughtfully.

"However, that that was quite astute of you," Kakashi added. "I'm impressed. Iruka mentioned that you also have a natural knack at reading people."

"I'm a good guesser," he admitted with a dismissive wave of his hand. "He's probably just trying to talk me up."

"Talk only gets you so far, I'm afraid," the man chuckled as he stood to walk to his bookshelf, his steps were practically soundless against the soft red carpeting. "It takes more than guessing with these cases, Naruto. We need intellect."

He nodded slowly, trying to force a bit more confidence into himself. Iruka chose him for more than the fact that he was Naruto's guardian. He must have had the mind, but it was always hard to tell with Iruka. How much of that praise was favoritism?

"I know that, at school, you wanted you relationship to be a secret," Kakashi commented as he ran his slender fingers over the blank leather spines, "but there is very little that Iruka can keep from me."

Naruto's head sank slightly, his gaze now refocused on his bag. "Is he that bad of a liar?"

"You're his pride and joy, Naruto. You expect him to never share that? A bit selfish, don't you think?"

"He didn't tell you, did he?" Naruto questioned, shifting his stare to meet Kakashi's.

There was a strange shudder that ran up his spine when he had the full attention of the other's eyes. It was both unnerving and exciting at once. He did not know what to expect from this man, but he seemed to have a genuine belief in Naruto's abilities. That alone was enough to make him want to do his best. He could show Kakashi that he could handle anything.

"No, he didn't," Kakashi finally answered, his fingers lightly pushing against the bookshelf as it slid along the wall to reveal several large filing cabinets. "Iruka and I are very close. That is why he cannot hide anything from me."

"Close?" Naruto reiterated with a raised brow. "He's never mentioned you." That was a bit irritating. If this was someone important to Iruka then why was this the first time he was hearing of it?

"Don't frown so much! I might get the impression of jealousy."

Naruto nearly choked on thin air. "W-what? Of you? Don't flatter yourself! I heard your name for the first time the other day. How special could you be?"

Kakashi chuckled with a shake of his head. "I was told that your temper flares up easily, but I find it quite cute at how simple that was."

"Go f—" Naruto bit his tongue, not wanting to feed the man's amusement any further. He could feel the redness flushing his cheeks, burning all the way to his ears. "Whatever! Let's just get down to business!"

"Of course," the man agreed with a faint hint of a smirk. He pulled at one of the cabinets, his fingers running over the various files before plucking one from the group. "There's a certain case that I want you to work on. It's a big one, but I believe you can do it."

"Something so serious right off the bat?"

"Well, we'll just have to see how you do," Kakashi sighed while waving the manila folder in his hand. "I'd like you to hold a session so I can observe how well you handle it."

The file was tossed into his lap, drawing his eyes down to the name at the top. "19 years old." Three years younger than Naruto. "Patient suffers from bi-polar disorder ranging from extreme aggressive episodes to slight depression," he glanced up at Kakashi once more. "This is a _big_ case, you say?"

"Let's get going," Kakashi said with a smile as he held the office door open to usher him out. "We don't want to be late for our appointment, do we?"

"So soon?" Naruto jeered quietly. "Just when I thought we were becoming friends. You don't want me to tell you more about me?"

Though the statement was obviously a joke, Kakashi's smirk became more evident as he put his arm across the doorway, stopping the blond in his tracks. "Though your request suggests otherwise, you cherish Iruka more than anybody. The way you slouch in front of me already means you aren't as guarded around me, probably because I'm the one who will be guiding you and it is more comfortable to trust in that. You may not admit it, but you take being here very seriously seeing as you're actually wearing slacks instead of jeans. Also..." he paused, removing his arm in order to scratch lightly at his chin with his index finger. "I'm guessing you have some serious issues of your own."

Naruto gaped at him in astonishment, torn between being offended and admiring the man's perception. "H-how—?"

"You're not the only good guesser in this world, kid," Kakashi cooed with a playful wink before leading the dumbfounded apprentice down the hall.

The long hallway that led away from the center of the front lobby was a pale blue and was as desolate as it was plain. It seemed to stretch on for miles, leading in to the heart of the facility where the true madness lied. The only exit was the way they came, and Naruto imagined that anyone who tried to run down this hall could easily be intercepted before they reached the center. At the end of the hall, they approached a large metal door with a young man sitting on the other side of reinforced glass.

"Dr. Hatake! Good afternoon!" The boy cried out energetically. His eyes were wide with thick brows that took up a good portion of his forehead which was also half covered by a budget bowl cut at best. "You've brought a guest?"

"Afternoon, Lee," Kakashi greeted while flashing his ID. "This is Naruto Uzumaki, our new apprentice."

"It is very nice to meet you!" Lee exclaimed with a low bow before a loud buzz sounded over Naruto's weak '_likewise'_.

The door slid open with the sound of crunching gears as they stepped into the small enclosed space. There was still another metal door in front of them and Lee was still isolated behind another glass plane. As the second door slid open with the same mechanical groan, Naruto noticed only one black camera looking down on them as they walked into the patient lobby.

Few patients walked about the room in various faded scrubs of green, orange, and blue. There were a couple long brown couches scattered about the area along with two televisions and some tables. The provisions were simple enough to ensure some degree of comfort, but he couldn't help but feel sorry for those who earned their free time and ended up spending it in a room like that.

"Colorful," Naruto commented wryly while trying to ignore the awkward stares he was receiving. In a place that kept them confined behind two metal doors, they probably were not used to getting visitors.

"The four colors represent the different severity of each case we deal with. It makes it easier to work around. Green class is our most improved and well behaved. Blue are the ones who still need improvement with mild defiant traits. And orange," he explained with a point to the few that sat about the room, "are the ones with behavioral issues and could lash out unprovoked."

"And the fourth color?" Naruto asked, his eyes scanning the area for a shade that was set apart from the aforementioned colors.

"White," Kakashi stated grimly, his eyes suddenly fixated on the clipboard in his hands. "Severe disturbance."

There was something ominous about the way he said it that made a shiver run down Naruto's spine. "How severe?"

"White are deemed extremely dangerous and most, as you can see, have lost most human contact privileges," he explained as he led the silent blond to a sealed door at the far end of the room. "Some suffer from mild to severe and have unhealthy violent habits."

"Sounds like bad news," Naruto mumbled, anxiety easily weighing on his voice.

"Only if you don't know how to handle them," Kakashi reassured as he slid his ID through the slot, opening the door to a long white corridor with a line of doors at either side.

"How do you handle something that dangerous?"

"Are you scared?" Kakashi questioned with a mocking smile as he stopped before a room with the number 17 painted in black at the center of the door.

Naruto did not bother looking through the small window, instead, glaring at the smug doctor. "_Tch_! Yeah right! Like anyone in your care could possibly scare me!"

"I thought so," Kakashi mused before pulling the thick metal latch to the side.

The door pulled open, revealing a fairly spacious room with a thin metal frame bed and a single chair pushed under a small desk. There was a boy, the same height as Naruto, dressed in orange leaning against the wall.

"About damn time!" he snarled, pushing himself from the wall to put his hands to his hips. "You kept me waiting!"

Naruto refrained from checking his watch as he pulled the chair back to put a comfortable amount of space between them.

"And who the hell is he?" he growled with a distinctive point to the blond stranger.

"Afternoon, Kiba," Naruto greeted calmly, appreciating the fact that Kakashi had remained silent since they entered. "I am Mr. Uzumaki, or Naruto, if you prefer. I'm here for your afternoon session."

"Like hell!" Kiba spat with another dramatic point to Kakashi. "It's either the old man or the freaky dude that does my sessions! Why should that change?"

"I was brought here merely to help out," Naruto explained, looking down at the file. There must have been something in there that could help break the ice.

"We don't _need_ your help, thanks. I was doing just fine!" The brunette seemed to be growing more agitated, and Naruto had yet to ask him anything of importance.

"What does Dr. Hatake do that you don't think I will offer you?" Naruto asked, putting his pen to paper.

"Suck my DICK!"

"Excuse me?" he asked, his voice suddenly becoming lower as he glanced up at the audacious boy.

"That's what he does!" Kiba continued as he thrust his hips with a suggestive gesture to his crotch. "So get to it, blondie!"

"Interesting," Naruto mumbled thoughtfully as he focused all of his attention on the paper.

"What's that?" he spat.

"I had no idea you were attracted to men," Naruto answered, not once looking up, "It says it nowhere in your file."

"And like hell it ever will!" Kiba snapped as he advanced forward and threw the folder to the ground. "Like some piece of shit paper is all there is to me!"

"I suppose you're right," Naruto sighed, twirling the pen between his fingers. "What _doesn't_ the file say about you?"

"It doesn't tell you that I'm fucking awesome!" Kiba cackled, though his features began to soften somewhat. "And it probably says nothing about my dogs back home."

"Oh!" Naruto chimed in, leaning forward. "You have dogs? How many?"

"Last I saw," Kiba announced smugly, "we had around 20 with another litter on the way!"

The blond let out a short whistle with a shake of his head. "I'm not sure how I would keep track of that many pets. I had a pet frog once but, sadly, it died within two months."

Kiba let out a huffish scoff. "That doesn't surprise me. People who don't know how to fucking take care of animals don't deserve to try! Every single one of my dogs loved me and not one of them _ever_ died because of my stupidity."

"I suppose I deserve that," Naruto said apologetically. "Did you ever have a favorite?"

"Akamaru," Kiba responded automatically as if the answer should have been obvious. "He was the runt, but I raised him and we grew up together. He is my brother and we taught each other how to be strong!"

"I see. Well, too bad Dr. Hatake gets to know about all that or I'd ask you more about him," Naruto replied with a sly smile. He stopped writing altogether, folding his hands neatly atop the paper in wait.

"W-wait!" Kiba gasped, clamping a hand over his mouth. "You tricked me!"

"Tricked?" Naruto asked with a raise of his brow. "You were the one who seemed so eager to explain yourself."

"Don't fuck with me!" Kiba snarled before lunging forward, tackling the blond out of his chair.

"Kiba!" Kakashi exclaimed, opening the door and shouting something down the hall.

The boy's hand had a tight grip around the young man's throat, his teeth bared as if he were a rabid dog. Up close, Naruto could see the details in Kiba's rough skin, from the wild brows that were knit together in a threatening scowl to the faint scars that ran across either cheek. Still, Naruto made no move to knock Kiba off him or react with the anger he felt heating in his chest. Instead, he gazed into the boy's livid stare no more pleasing than it was vicious. After a few seconds Kiba's erratic breathing suddenly calmed and his glare faltered, his grip slackening as he backed up, utterly baffled.

"What—

"Get over here!" a rough voice shouted as two male nurses stormed into the room, tackling Kiba back onto the bed.

"No! I was good!" he pleaded, thrashing violently at the sight of the large needle that one of the nurses held in his hand.

"Wait!" Naruto called after them, sitting upright as they jammed the needle into the boy's arm. Kiba screamed, his voice resonating off the walls and making him shiver before the shouts died down and he was forced into submission.

"Sorry, sir," one of them spoke as they laid Kiba across his bed. "There's no stopping him once you get him started."

"I had it under control," he spat, heaving himself to his feet while grabbing his notes from the floor.

"Not from where we were standing," the other remarked blankly as they walked out, "You're welcome, by the way."

"Kiss my ass," he muttered as he snatched the last of his papers from the floor.

"I'd hardly call his hands around your neck having _control_ of the situation, Naruto," Kakashi commented as he closed the door behind them and led them back down the hall. "For someone who's prone to temperamental outbursts, you seemed surprisingly calm."

"Don't try to diagnose me, Kakashi," he snapped lowly as he set his notes in order. "I was merely observing. There's no harm in that."

"You mean you _meant_ to provoke a possibly dangerous patient to observe how far he's go?"

"Dangerous isn't the word I'd use to describe Kiba." Naruto replied with a shake of his head. "Just a bit on the wild side."

"I cannot say I really approve of your methods," Kakashi continued, his tone skeptical. "The entire case could be thrown off balance that way."

"But we share a more intimate relationship because of it," he pointed out as they reentered the green office. "Sometimes, intimacy can be the perfect ice-breaker."

They passed by Ino who gave them no look of acknowledgment and entered the, somehow soothing, silence of Kakashi's office. The silver haired man grabbed the papers from Naruto, making his way to his desk though not quite making it to his chair as he read over the apprentice's notes. He leaned against the edge of his desk, his eyes roaming every line and margin studiously.

Naruto stood behind one of the green chairs, his fingers absentmindedly running along the soft fabric and creating small squiggly designs as he awaited the doctor's response.

"These are some... interesting responses," Kakashi finally spoke up after a few minutes, glancing up at Naruto for a moment before looking back at the paper.

"I wrote it out like Iruka taught me," Naruto shrugged, "Using everything he gave me and asking the proper questions. Is there something wrong with that?"

"I'm talking about what you put in the margins."

"Those aren't a part of the report."

"'_Loud mouth.' 'Right after you fuck yourself.' _And countless '_shut up'_s," Kakashi pointed out as he set the papers down and turning toward his filing cabinet.

"Like I said, those have nothing to do with the actual report. Kiba is all bark but no bite," Naruto stated as he took a seat. "At least, until you actually piss him off. It's not hard to tell that he still treats others with the mild respect that he gave to his dogs. He was aggressive yet gentle to each of them and invested enough time to get to know each one of his dogs and their personalities. I can only imagine that his dominant belligerence is a result of whatever incident occurred to give him those scars."

"Refrain from being arrogant, Naruto," Kakashi reminded him, his voice took on a foreboding tone that the blond was unsure of how to interpret.

"Whatever," Naruto sighed as he closed his eyes. "A couple more sessions and I'll have it down, though I don't believe that this was as bad as you made it seem."

"Because Kiba wasn't the one I was talking about."

"What?"

_Thud!_

A manila folder was thrown onto the desk without another word. Naruto looked up to notice Kakashi's features had become much stricter than before.

"Your method may be strange and somehow effective," Kakashi began with a sullen look to the front of the blank file. "That doesn't work for everyone, however."


	2. The Second Floor

**Chapter One**

He was itching for something. Where did he leave his cell phone? At a time like this he needed to grasp onto something more reassuring than a small survival knife in his left pocket. Whenever his mind would go blank, he would absentmindedly handle his phone. He knew who he wanted to call which is probably why he left his phone back at his hotel room, to eliminate the temptation. Naruto had spent the entire night staring down at the file calculating—_trying_ to calculate. Researching had gone into the dark hours of the night, postponing his meeting with the head doctor in order to comprehend what he was up against.

The human mind was an incredible thing. Everything was about perception of reality and assimilating into a single awareness. Then, there were the anomalies that stretched the boundaries of the human mind and its potential. Naruto had a natural curiosity for people like those, the strangers... these inconsistencies in the human experience. What made people do the things they did? These were questions that were relatable because he could answer them for himself, but what about the ones that he couldn't understand? What about the minds that dwelled within the confines of the Konoha District? These were the fascinating irregularities that were worth the real time and effort it took to truly understand. What was it like to be insane? Naruto Uzumaki was determined to find out. Kakashi regarded it as arrogance, but he was inclined to the science of the matter and he was trusted to have the skills to decipher it.

But the further he read into the case he felt the ever growing presence of doubt hovering over his shoulder like an unwanted reminder of his inexperience. He could assume, guess, and speculate about Kiba because he was predictable and easy to read and play off of. This all was because he felt the same things Naruto did, spoke the way Naruto could and made it easier for him to adapt because he felt true emotions; they just happened to be expressed more aggressively than others.

What was he supposed to do with something that did not seem entirely human?

The first floor, that was sparse of any decorations, at least had the attempt at color and minor aesthetics; the atmosphere was dull, but workable. This was mainly because of the incoherent chatter and the TV's that provided a much needed ambient noise that served as a faint reminder that they were not alone. The second floor, however...

Each corridor was secured with a thick metal door that even Kakashi could not access by himself. There was a small intercom at each entrance where he communicated with a guard who was watching them through the cameras that were set at each hallway. The metal door slid open, only, unlike the last ones, this one was completely silent. The walls were an unpainted grey and had shallow cracks of wear and age, but what stood out the most was the strong scent of bleach. The doors, however, were painted completely white with clipboards handing from each one. The second floor was like a completely separate facility from the first. It was almost hard to believe that this was the same building he had entered the day before.

"He is out in another session, at the moment," Kakashi broke the silence, making Naruto snap back to attention as they stopped at the last room in the hall. "I thought you'd like to see where he is kept." With that he gestured toward the short vertical window that was placed behind a set of three iron bars.

Without a word, Naruto peered through the opening, noticing a neatly made bed and four cameras set high on each wall of the room. Besides the alarming amount of security, the room was astonishingly small in comparison to what he saw of Kiba's room. There was only a bed which left little to do in this room other than sit or sleep. He felt the need to point out how extreme that was, but he could not find his words. In fact, he hadn't spoken since they left Kakashi's office to make their way towards the second floor.

Kakashi's footsteps resumed as he led the blond out into the main hall until it split into two ways at the end. They took a quick left where Kakashi opened a normal functioning door (at last) that led into a dimly lit room. Naruto walked in, still trying to take in the area and register what it was they were really doing. The room was actually quite nice with some cabinets, a wooden table, a few posh chairs, and a wide bookshelf. With the lights turned off, Naruto's focus turned towards their only source of light which was a dark tinted window and he recognized instantly that they were on the other side of a one-way mirror. He stood absolutely still as he took in the sight of the other room.

The room is in a calming state of silence. Two chairs sit at either side of a small rectangular metal table underneath a single lamp that looms from the ceiling. Its luminous glow reflects dully across the scratched and faded surface, barely casting its light on the washed out concrete which is where, he believed, the smell of bleach is emanating from.

"I'm surprised," Kakashi commented as they continued to stare at the empty space. "I expected you to have a lot more to say about this."

Naruto tried to mumble some sort of reply, but he was cut short as the steel door from the other side clicked and was slid open and he practically turned to stone. A guard stepped into the room, and then another. He held his breath as the patient was finally led in with a dark blue blindfold secured tightly around his head. His uniform was an immaculate white that gave off a brilliant glow that was almost blinding. He was as tall as the guards, probably taller than Naruto, with pale, almost ghost white skin, and dark black hair that fell over the sides of his face.

He was roughly thrown into the metal chair which scraped against the concrete floor before his slender wrists and ankles were zip-tied in place. At last, the blindfold was yanked away, revealing features that made him look like a mere specter, a ghost of a man. He bowed his head down, his face sinking into a dark shadow as he was left alone in the room, still having yet to make a single sound.

There was nothing but a daunting silence after that. Naruto could not bring himself to think of anything substantial. The air was cold against his skin, though when he tried to move it felt as if he went completely numb. The uneasiness was unlike anything he had ever felt and it left him gaping blankly through the one-way, weary of when the raven-haired man would finally shift.

"I'll be back here watching his every move," Kakashi assured with a pat to his shoulder which shocked him back into the proper state of mind.

"Why not just stand by me?" Naruto's words croaked into the stillness as he finally pried his eyes away from the phantom's image.

"It won't work, otherwise," Kakashi sighed despondently with a sympathetic gaze. "He refuses to talk with me present. Do you think you'll manage?"

He took in a breath, thinking that it would calm his nerves but it only made him shiver, forcing him to shake his head. "I don't see why you can't go in with me. Why would he refuse to talk to you?"

"I'm not his regular therapist, Naruto," Kakashi explained, his voice becoming slightly concerned as he glanced over at the younger man. "He has never once spoken to me."

"I don't believe you," he snapped, his hands were trying to burrow deeper into his pockets as he tore his eyes away from the glass. "Why would I be expected to handle this alone?"

"That's the reason for your stay," Kakashi replied as he turned back toward the table where he left his briefcase, flipping it open. "I don't know if you have already forgotten, but Iruka sent _you_ when I briefed him about our situation."

"What happened to his regular therapist?"

"A leave of absence."

"Why?"

"Why are you avoiding the issue? If you're intimidated then—"

"I never said that!" Naruto spat angrily, removing his fists from his pockets. "I just think that you're bullshitting me and it's ticking me off!"

Kakashi returned the defiant glare as he grabbed a small notepad and stuffed it into his pocket. "Fine. Wait here."

"Where are you going?" Naruto called after him as he tried to follow the doctor out the door only to be pushed back with such force that he stumbled back into the table. "What the hell?"

"Stay. If you have the nerve to try my patience with your petulant tantrums, then you _will_ sit and do as I say." Those words coming from Kakashi made him flinch with guilt. His livid expression alone was enough to make him want to take back everything he said.

He knew he was being unreasonable; he knew his temper was just a fallback to his own insecurities, but he couldn't help but lash out when he felt so confused. What was he supposed to do? The door slammed, leaving the blond alone to sit in silence before a latch was heard on the other side. The door was pulled open with an echoing groan before Kakashi strode into the room, fitting a pen into his coat pocket before quickly seating himself on the other side of the table. Naruto sat back, fiddling with the buttons of his shirt in order to keep his hands out of his pockets.

There was another moment of silence. It was suffocating, aching almost, as the minutes passed and Kakashi had yet to speak, the apprentice became all the more restless. "Come on..."

"Good morning, Sasuke." The silence was suddenly disturbed, but Naruto felt anything but relieved. The patient didn't move. "It is good to see you today. I was not expecting to visit you."

"I was informed that your prescriptions had been changed once more. I'll see what I can do to return it to the way it was. Perhaps, if you cooperate, you can rejoin the others in the lobby."

He was joking, right? From the beginning it was evident that there was something perceptibly off about this patient, Sasuke Uchiha. It was something that made it all too noticeable that he was different.

"You look a bit out of it," Kakashi continued, unaffected by Sasuke's silence. "Your new medication seems to make you go somewhere else. Can you answer me so that I know you can hear me?"

Was the patient even alive? Naruto leaned forward, squinting in order to focus on the white figure slouched on the other side in order to see if he was actually breathing. Not a word, not a sound, and not a single solitary breath could be detected from him.

"Sasuke, you know I can't help you if you don't answer me. I want to try and help you if this new medication is making you feel uncomfortable, but you have to tell me so." The doctor paused, folding his hands together and setting them on top of the table.

The silence lasted for 30 minutes before anything happened. Naruto, surprisingly enough, sat as still at Kakashi. He was waiting for something, anything, but the Uchiha had remained unmoved. It wasn't until the thirtieth minute ticked by that something suddenly broke into the stillness of the image before him. Sasuke looked up, his expression unreadable from the distance and the glow of the light against his pale complexion. The latch clicked once more as the guards came in, as if beckoned by his sudden change in position, returning the blindfold to his face and cutting the ties around his hands and feet.

A few more minutes passed before the door behind him opened and a familiar presence returned to the room.

"What the hell is he?" Naruto mumbled, confused as to how he should handle the experience.

"He is ill, Naruto," Kakashi's answer was short, almost threatening as if _daring_ him to step out of line again. "Now that I've made my point quite clear, you have a decision to make."

"What do you mean?" he asked as he turned to see the man with a solemn expression, tossing the notepad into his briefcase.

"You are here to put your abilities to work, and you were brought here to assist us with others, but mainly with the patient Sasuke Uchiha," Kakashi explained before turned back toward the door. "If you feel that you are not up to the task, then I suggest you go back to Iruka and stop wasting my time."

The statement practically winded the blond as he slowly trudged behind the silver haired doctor all the way to the front lobby. He welcomed the warmth that flooded in through the large windows that lit up the lifeless blue walls with the sun's rays. The trip to the second floor had been nothing like he thought it would be. Where had his confidence gone since the time of his arrival and how could he get it back?

Wasn't Sasuke the exact kind of mind that he wanted to know more about? He couldn't lie to himself, watching the session between him and Kakashi only left him with more questions as well as insecurities. It was as enthralling as it was disheartening, and the anxiety of it all could not be shaken from his body.

"Dr. Hatake," a male voice interrupted the blond's agitated thoughts, making him look up in search of the speaker.

"Good morning Neji, and please call me Kakashi," he replied tiredly. "I just got out of a session with Uchiha."

Naruto peered around his shoulder to get a good look at the young man who was standing by the front counter, a stack of papers in hand. His eyes were beautifully pale along with his complexion. He had smooth and handsome features, one of them being his long dark hair that fell behind his shoulders. He was dressed properly; everything about him seemed to be in order from his immaculate suit to the straightness of his hair.

"Odd," he stated with a slight raise of his slender brow. "Why would you even bother?"

"It's a tiresome story that wouldn't interest you." The way they talked to each other was interesting. Everything was concise and for a purpose. He assumed it was for this Neji's sake.

"And this, I assume, is the new apprentice?" the young man asked, his almost colorless eyes shifting towards the blond.

"One could assume," Kakashi sighed. "Whether he will remain here has come into question."

"That didn't take long," the comment caught Naruto off guard as Neji turned his attention back to his papers. "There really must be no one that can handle Sasuke."

"I'm right here," Naruto cut in as he stepped forward to be at Kakashi's side. "You two should stop making these assumptions on your own when I haven't even said anything! I'm here to stay and I'll show you what the hell I can do! Watch me work this!"

Neji seemed more irritated by the statement than reassured as he sent Kakashi, who was beginning to smirk, a quick skeptical glance. "Charming."

* * *

**A/N: **Wow, what an interesting reaction. Thank you to those of you who took the time to review and to those who favorited this story and put it on alert. I was wary of putting this story up because I have seen how critical people can be of the content. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the response. I appreciate your input and your insight, but I hope we can all keep in mind that this is just a story. It is by no means perfect and I never intend for it to be.

With that said, thank you! And enjoy "Better the Devil You Know" :)


	3. Calculating

**Chapter Two**

Papers... Pens... A clipboard... Journal... Clock...

One of those didn't belong. _Clock. Of course._ He had to make it more challenging, but he was running out of things to compare side by side. With silent footsteps across the room he gazed at a collection of books that had been pushed to the far left of the lacquered bookshelf that actually had titles printed on the spines.

_Pioneers of Psychology_... _Tales from a Traveling Couch_... _The Social Animal_... _I and Thou_... _The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde_... *

The choice seemed more than obvious there too, but, to humor himself, he chose _The Social Animal_ as the outcast of the bunch. Naruto let out a soft quiet chuckle to himself as he slipped _Jekyll and Hyde_ from its place, flipping through the worn pages of the flimsy paperback cover classic. Perhaps Kakashi revealed more about his preferences than he intended by putting it there. Maybe he did it on purpose; he wouldn't put it past the scheming doctor to plant it there for Naruto to find. Kakashi seemed incredibly intuitive that way, and he seemed to enjoy testing Naruto whenever he got the chance. There was no resting around that man.

Certificates... Neji... Scattered files... A desk... Naruto...

_Naruto._ Great. A desk had more of a right to be there than he did. He actually felt subconsciously inferior to an inanimate object. It didn't help that the only other person in the room did a fine job of discrediting and further ignoring Naruto briefly after their introductions, making him feel as if his trip there was a complete waste of time.

Naruto had practically charged into Kiba's session with little to no apprehension whatsoever. Though it did not end as he would have liked, he proved to Kakashi that he, at least, had a grasp on what he was doing regardless of whether the doctor agreed or not. But when Sasuke's file was thrown in front of him he felt as if he no longer had the upper hand. He had spent, what was supposed to be, his first session with the Uchiha behind a glass pane, letting someone else do what he had been trusted to do. It was a foreign feeling that intruded in on all of his better judgments. However, despite his hesitation, he had to see the task through since he had given Kakashi his word. He could not betray that no matter how ill-prepared he felt.

Naruto looked up from the book, seeing that Neji had hardly moved. He stood at the desk corner, flipping through his own papers and with his head low in concentration; he left no opening for approach. Without Kakashi there to keep the conversation alive, the atmosphere quickly died and left Naruto to play stupid word association games while eagerly awaiting his return. Neji had already made his dislike of the young apprentice all too clear, and he hardly put up an act as a common courtesy either. He had disregarded Naruto's existence altogether.

"Have you been here long?" he asked, glancing up to see that Neji did not even turn. In fact, he didn't respond.

"So, Neji," he began cautiously as he closed the book, walking back to the desk at the other's side, "How long have you been in the Konoha District?"

The young man let his eyes drift to a close, looking less than pleased at being addressed by first name. "Well, Mr. Uzumaki, I've been here for three years. That includes my one year as Kakashi's apprentice."

"S-sorry, Mr. Hyuuga," Naruto stammered, trying to find something else to talk about. He could already tell that Neji was the exact kind of person that he would tend to avoid, but he had to try and smooth things over if they were going to, potentially, work together. "How many patients do you manage, now?"

"I fail to see the relevance," Neji replied curtly, setting the papers down but still refusing to meet the blond's gaze. "When did any of that become your business?"

"Okay,_ wow_!" he retorted, taken aback by the unnecessary terseness. "Thank you for the gratuitous contempt. I didn't know asking questions warranted that."

"It does when I've made it perfectly clear that I don't want anything to do with you. This includes talking to you about useless details," Neji shot back, finally turning his glare to meet bewildered blue eyes. "Simple body language could have told you that, but apparently it is beyond your understanding."

His fingers gripped onto the book tightly, trying to expel enough energy to keep from decking him. "Okay, asshole," he growled as he flipped Neji the bird, offending him further. "How's that for body language?"

"You—"

"I hope you two didn't miss me too much!" Kakashi cooed as he slipped back into the office, cutting short the inevitable fight that was looming. Naruto could feel it even as they both bit their tongues. This fight would happen another day. "I have brought a special guest for you, Naruto."

"Oh yeah?" he asked, crossing his arms with a final glare to the Hyuuga.

"Naruto Uzumaki. What a pleasure it is to see you." The voice was low, almost menacing, with a sardonic undertone that immediately caught all of his attention. A man walked in after Kakashi, his stride so smooth that he practically slid across the floor.

The initial sight of him was startling from his pasty white skin to the long braid of black hair that fell over his shoulder. His eyes were leering, like a predator; the hues were a mix of a pale yellow and green, being the most noticeable feature about him. Then, there was that smile—no—that sneer. That shit-eating toothy smirk was what made Naruto almost grimace. He suddenly dreaded being caught in this man's stare.

"Naruto, this is our head doctor, Orochimaru."

"I heard you had quite the eventful first day here." A small shiver ran down his spine. He wasn't imagining it. The man's voice was creepy.

"He was demonstrating his unique talents," Kakashi explained with a tired sigh.

"Yeah, until you had his sedated," he found himself mumbling before he could stop himself.

"Phenobarbital was a safer solution than yours," Kakashi added with a warning smile, though he was being less argumentative than before. Was it because Orochimaru was in the room?

"Quite," the head doctor agreed, walking toward the blond. "However, your method was intriguing, indeed. Ludicrous in nature, yet effective. How did you come up with it?"

Never had he regretted saying anything as fast as he did. His question was simple enough, but sounded almost threatening as he approached Naruto. He wondered if Kakashi or Neji could tell how uncomfortable he was. With the man so close it was getting difficult to breathe.

"It... just made sense."

He could practically hear the metaphorical 'face palm' from the other two while he was too winded to try and correct himself so he could form a more intellectual response. It just made sense? No, it didn't. It worked for a reason, didn't it? So, why couldn't he have said that? The pressure was almost too much for him to handle and Naruto found himself wishing that he was back on the second floor to hold a session with Sasuke. How could someone put him off so badly? It was something in his behavior but the apprentice could not quite put his finger on it.

A sardonic cackle made Naruto jump back a bit before he realized it was coming from Orochimaru. He even made the joyous art of laughing a bit terrifying. "Is that so? Interesting, indeed," he continued to chuckle before walking over to the desk. Neji stepped aside as the man ran a hand along the various papers and files that littered Kakashi's desktop before picking one up. "I was told that you have agreed to stay with us," his fingers stroked the edges of the file before he casually flipped through it, "especially to help out with this one. My favorite case to date."

Did he just say favorite? Damnit. What word was he looking for to describe this man?

"However, if you are going to be staying, then I would like you to actually meet Sasuke before the day ends," Orochimaru stated as he gently placed the file on top of the other papers. "Any more dithering and I will not hesitate to call for someone else." Coming from this man, it sounded more like a challenge than a demand. No doubt he had heard about Naruto's hesitation earlier, but he did not think that he would be forced to meet Sasuke so soon.

"Dr. Orochimaru," Kakashi interrupted, "Sasuke is not permitted to leave his room at this time. Maybe tomorrow I could schedule Naruto in for another session?"

"No," the man said flatly, shifting his threatening stare to his assistant. He seemed to have dropped the pretense of cordiality quite early. "Get it done today to make use of this boy. Make it a house call."

"A house call?" Kakashi seemed dumbfounded.

"Yes. We'll see what he can manage after that." With that, he turned toward the door, glancing at Naruto for another fleeting moment before exiting.

"Dr. Orochimaru! Wait!" the other called after him. "What about Sasuke's... medication." Kakashi became silent as he stared out the open door, an evident frown beginning to tug at the corners of his mouth.

Naruto had not realized just how tightly he was holding onto the novel in his hands. Any harder and he was sure his grip would begin to tear into the delicate pages. "A house call," he reiterated aloud to let it sink in. "That is just as bad as it sounds, isn't it?"

Kakashi looked back at Neji who nodded and left the two of them alone before he answered. "Yes, it is. I have to make a call to Solitary before we go."

Naruto gave a short nod, swallowing a huge knot of air that had been creeping up from his chest and into his throat. His mouth felt dry, and all the energy he had was depleted upon meeting Orochimaru. He did not want to think about having to see Sasuke again. At least, not so soon. The experience was becoming much more trouble than it was worth, while he absentmindedly wondered what the worth truly was. Perhaps the reason he had been able to react to Kiba so well was because he had entered the session with the intention to help him, aid him, or guide him. However, he could not help but notice that his intentions were none of those. That was what was, ultimately, expected from him when Iruka had sent him to the Konoha District, but what did he have to offer Sasuke who was immeasurably different from Kiba in almost every way?

Maybe it wasn't just the comprehension that compelled him to act the way he did and pursue cases in ways he shouldn't, but the curiosity of the questions that he had yet to answer. If he could not offer his help, then perhaps he could still learn from someone like Sasuke. Sitting idly by was not going to help him become better, and being better was his eventual goal. He wanted to return to Iruka with the experience and new knowledge at his disposal to give him the upper hand. He was going to be the best at this, and he could not let something like a little reservation cloud his judgment.

"You said... that you want to change his medication... what exactly is he on?" Naruto asked. He wanted to understand what was making Sasuke so unresponsive, and if his behavior had anything to do with drugs.

Kakashi shook his head with a disgruntled sigh as he closed his eyes in thought. "Sasuke is on a variety of medications including hypnotics, sedatives, and depressants. Some of them have been bumped up to more potent prescriptions that I feel are unnecessary. Haloperidol being one of them."

"An antipsychotic?" Naruto questioned with a raised brow. "I don't remember reading that he was schizophrenic. Shouldn't your main concern be that he's taking it at all?"

There was a brief pause which only worsened Naruto's discomfort before Kakashi replied. "There are some things that are out of my control, Naruto."

He felt the pocket knife against his fingers, once again cursing himself for not bringing his cell phone.

* * *

Preparing Sasuke for a last minute session took longer than he anticipated. He had to be penciled in sometime between medicating and still the guards had to go in to make sure the _incredibly _tiny room was _secure_ enough for Naruto to enter. Though, securing the room consisted of more zip-ties to keep Sasuke's arms behind his back and one ankle tied to a bedpost. Looking through the bars and glass, Sasuke looked like a gangly contorted figure that seemed to eerie to be real.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Naruto?" Kakashi asked once more, signing off on the clipboard. "No one would blame you if you decided that this is too much."

"I already gave you my answer," Naruto's reply held a clear tone of self-assurance, which he was grateful for.

A short glance to Kakashi and he noticed that the man was smiling at him with a look of satisfaction. "Just checking."

"Hall Four to Solitary," the guard behind them spoke through a radio, "Open up number 07." With a static covered 'roger', the latch slid back with barely a sound before the guard grabbed the handle and pulled it open.

A thin metal chair had been placed in the room, though there was not a lot of distance that could be put between Sasuke and wherever he sat. He almost preferred leaning against the wall in order to feel comfortable in his own space. Without looking back at Kakashi, he stepped into the room, keeping still until the door was pushed closed and he heard it lock behind him. It was just the two of them from that point on.

Much like earlier, Sasuke had not moved although his position looked exceedingly painful. Naruto pushed the chair against the door before taking a seat, tapping his pencil lightly against his closed notebook as he continued to stare at the despondent young man before him. What the hell was he supposed to do, now? As seen before, he knew that Sasuke was not going to respond to anything he said, let alone introductions. But, if he learned anything from the session with Kakashi, it was that it was better to try than to allow Sasuke to continue thinking that he would sit idly by or walk away.

"Good afternoon, Sasuke," he greeted, his voice resonating off the walls. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki. You may call me Mr. Uzumaki or Naruto. Whichever you prefer." Silence. "How are you doing today? Any better than earlier?" Silence.

In his slouched position it was difficult to get a proper look at his face. What would his reaction be if he actually looked Naruto in the eyes? It was too soon to tell although he would, first, have to get Sasuke to look up at him. In the back of his mind, he wondered what color his eyes were.

"I've been brought here to assist the others with the patients," Naruto explained, not liking the idea of asking questions to someone so unresponsive. "I understand your previous therapist has taken a leave of absence, so I will be seeing you until they come back."

There was a twitch in his shoulders. A faint sputter of movement that disappeared so quickly that Naruto froze for a moment to register whether he actually saw it.

"Sasuke? Can you hear me?" he asked, leaning forward and watching carefully for any change. However, the patient remained still as if the sudden motion had never happened. "Sasuke?"

It was no use. No matter what he said, Sasuke wouldn't reply. Perhaps it was an involuntary shudder. An effect of the antipsychotic? Or was he actually responding? He could not tell, but he still felt troubled about the circumstances for such heavy medication. This patient was under constant sedation, but why? What were these people trying to keep from stirring?

Silence resumed creating an odd tension that pushed Naruto to the back of his seat. There were plenty of things he expected during a session with him. However, he could only speculate because he never actually met anyone like Sasuke, and it was tiresome to try and get him to respond when it didn't seem like he was all there. It was like staring at a lifeless doll.

He relaxed his shoulders, adjusting to the silence as he sat there, wondering how much longer until the 15 minutes were up. There was nothing more to ask him, nothing that would turn out any different than before, but he could not leave before their session was done. He was going to show Sasuke that he was there to stay, whether he was refusing to talk to him or not.

Then, it happened again. Sasuke moved his head to look up at him, his eyes almost indistinguishable due to his bangs falling over his face. Naruto's body went tense; his grip tightening around his pen as the air suddenly fled his lungs. He opened his mouth to speak, feeling suddenly parched as he tried to find the right words. Before he could utter a sound, the door unlatched and opened quickly letting in a guard who practically dragged Naruto out of the room.

"Time is up."

Another guard went in after him, leaving Kakashi and Naruto in the hall as they took away Sasuke's restraints. As the door came to a close, he tried to steal one last glance at Sasuke only to find that he remained slumped at the edge of his bed.

The door locked once more, leaving the phantom to his diminutive dwellings, and their interaction to be had another day.

Naruto trudged behind Kakashi as they made their way down to his office, clutching his notebook to his chest as his mind tried to plead with the rest of his body to calm down. But his body wouldn't listen. If he relaxed his muscles, even for a second, he would begin to tremble. His jaw went tight and his heart felt like it was ready to beat its way out of his chest. The pressure that had been steadily building up had finally overwhelmed him, and there was no taking comfort in anything.

"We'll see how you do next time," Kakashi spoke to break the silence, keeping his eyes on the path ahead. "Maybe, after we get him off some of those meds we'll see significant change. The guy just isn't all there."

"No."

The silver haired man stopped, finally looking back at Naruto, his look suddenly becoming more concerned at how overwrought the blond had become.

"There was something that wasn't sitting well with me about your session with him, and it happened again with me. He only really moved when the session was over," Naruto mumbled, dropping his gaze to the floor. "Counting down the minutes before cutting us off."

"You believe he is calculating, then."

"There is one thing I am absolutely sure of," he croaked as held onto himself even tighter. "He knows exactly what he is doing."

* * *

**A/N:** Thank you for your reviews, faves, and alerts.

*****Authors in order of appearance: Raymond E. Fancher, Robert U. Akeret, David Brooks, Martin Buber, and Robert Louis Stevenson


	4. Crazy

**Chapter Three**

" _**I** **n**ever **s**aw **a** ma**n** I so d**i**sliked, and ye**t** I scarce know wh**y**."_

_-R.L.S., 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'_

* * *

"He may come off as gentle, but I want you to remember that he is still wearing orange." There was a warning in his tone, but Naruto was too thrilled to care.

"Yeah, yeah, I know already," he groaned with impatience, practically dancing outside of the conference room door. This was the first session he would do that was nota house call, and he was eager to take a look at what the room looked like on the other side.

Kakashi tried to hide a small smile that began to play across his lips before opening the door and letting the blond race past him. The morning sun poured in through the tall arch window, lighting up the clean conference space that smelled faintly of vanilla. There was a dark burgundy leather couch next to an armchair, and a rosewood desk, that was relatively empty, sitting before a tall portrait of Orochimaru, causing Naruto to shudder. His pose was simple with a dark blue suit and tie and a plain background, but the main focus immediately became his narrow eyes and unsettling grin. How was he supposed to create a pleasant atmosphere with that man's eyes constantly leering down at them?

"After this, we will wander around the lobby so you can meet the others," Kakashi explained with a pat to his back before taking a seat at the desk. "I'll let you take it from here."

Naruto nodded eagerly, though he was still taking in the room in all of its liberating glory. How long had he taken personal space for granted? With this room he did not have to share it, and he could feel like he was actually practicing his profession rather than being trapped within the same cage as the lion. This area was impressionable and could be claimed as his own before anybody else, and it was a domain that he had control over. Maybe, if things continued to go well, he would be allowed to hold sessions without Kakashi's supervision. He cut his hopes short with a roll of his eyes as he set his bag beside the armchair. That was not likely. Despite Kakashi's beliefs and strong perception of his abilities, it was _because_ he knew how Naruto worked that he was not likely to let him loose just yet. Naruto had to prove himself, but in order to do that he had to get a better grip on his skill and show the doctor just how well he could work.

After a long inhale, Naruto sighed as he skimmed the file once more for clarity. The patient suffers from schizoaffective disorder with unknown triggers into psychotic episodes. There was that and the fact that he was placed into the orange class. Aside from his episodes, that must have meant that there were behavioral problems with him that made him hard to approach. Whether he was violent and headstrong like Kiba or reactive at first had yet to be determined.

The door was pushed open lightly, making no noise even as it met the wall. It was a boy; this he knew as an irrefutable fact after reading the file, but his looks were unbelievably misleading. The patient was pale, as he imagined most of them would be, with long soft-looking black hair that flowed behind him gracefully as he walked into the room. The orange uniform hung off him loosely, and did not suit the docile ashen brown eyes that immediately made contact with his and were complete with long eyelashes that did not help Naruto convince himself that the person he was staring at was, in fact, male.

"Good morning, Haku," he greeted with an awkward smile as he gestured toward the couch, wary of trying to make contact with a handshake. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki. You may call me Mr. Uzumaki or Naruto, whichever you prefer."

"I prefer to call you Mr. Naruto." Damn. He sounded like a girl too with that soft and gentle pitch.

He glanced at the file one more time to make sure he actually saw the _M_ for sex instead of _F_. No. The letter could not be mistaken twice, and he was starting to feel guilty for doubting himself so much. It's not like there weren't incredibly feminine men in the world (some more than others), but this boy's appearance put together with the harsh orange color just did not go together.

There was a certain look about people when he initially met them that could set the tone for first impressions. Along with what little he had been told about Kakashi, Naruto knew what to expect from him when his laidback appearance and clever remarks molded him into that mental image he held. Kiba was no different; despite having read his file, the color of his uniform alone had set the tone of their session which had a predictable ending. But Haku had two pieces of a puzzle that did not quite fit together. It was a break from the consistency of expectations, and his confusion only furthered his hesitation.

"That's fine," he replied with another smile, surprised to see that Haku obediently took his seat. "I'm still getting up to date with this place, myself. Is there anything you'd like to share with me before we get started? Perhaps to get us better acquainted since we will be seeing a lot of each other."

Haku tilted his head slightly, making a few locks of his hair fall out of place and in front of his shoulders. There was a thoughtful look about him for a moment, and then it seemed like he was staring past everything as he straightened his posture. From that angle it was more than obvious, however awkward, that this boy was unusually pretty.

"Crazy." The word alone caught Naruto off guard, disheartening his previous feelings of satisfaction with his new work space. This was where he had to take himself more seriously. A simple word began the session, and he could hold nothing back.

"I'm sorry?"

"I'm crazy. Did you know that, Mr. Naruto?"

"I..." he paused, unsure if it was the right time to dignify that with any response.

"They call me crazy," Haku continued, maintaining an almost sweet tone as his eyes trailed to his file by the blond's side. "Everyone should know by now. I'm crazy and I can't be stopped."

"I'm... not so sure about that," Naruto spoke slowly, thinking carefully over each word, though they still did not carry the desired effect. "I have never called you crazy. And I don't plan to. Who says these things about you?"

"Mr. Naruto, it is very plain," he murmured, looking slightly apologetic. "So, I have to wonder how talking to you is going to help me."

"You can't know unless I try." The boy looked almost distraught, taken aback by Naruto's unusual reaction. In truth, he was growing frustrated with himself for losing control of the conversation so quickly.

"But, I'm crazy," Haku insisted, though his tone remained the same. "How can I talk to anyone when all I speak is nonsense?"

"But it's not nonsense," he stated. "I honestly want you to tell me more about you so that I may try to understand."

Haku was right. How could someone place their trust in another when they were only seen as crazy? Perhaps, he had been too cautious when he tried to gauge the outcome on just the color of his uniform alone. He did not expect the boy to sound so even-tempered.

"Understand?" his voice trailed off to a whisper as he suddenly looked off to the side. His eyes had become wide staring at the ground while it seemed he was listening intently to the stillness that overcame them. "They say... I'm crazy, Mr. Naruto. There is nothing left, and there is no helping me."

"Who says these things about you, Haku?" he asked more urgently as he turned more in his seat, trying to read his expression. "If you tell me, then I can help you."

The last statement turned the air cold with the fierce glare he received from the boy. His gentle features turned sour with a hideous scowl, a look he must have been used to giving. It was noticeable in how unsightly yet oddly natural it looked on him when he wore it with such certainty, like he had heard those words before. Naruto caught his next sentence before he could upset the boy even further and possibly trigger something.

He stole a brief look to Kakashi who did not seem to be paying attention to them at all with his forehead resting against the back of his hands. The least he could do was signal the blond some sort of clue that would help him figure Haku out. Even he could tell that no matter what he said, his words were not going to reach the patient the way he wanted them to.

"What is it with you doctors and your helping and understandings?" Haku asked, the girlish tone becoming deeper and slightly menacing. "Is that what you really want, Mr. Naruto? To help me and not stroke your own ego by trying to _understand_?"

"Of course I want to help you, Haku," Naruto insisted, noticing Kakashi stand and walk to the door without a word or glance their way. "This isn't about me." But it was.

"But nothing can be done, didn't I tell you? They say I'm crazy."

"Enough!" he snapped, "I did not come here to call you crazy or agree with whatever _they_ say. I asked you so that I could understand more about you, not what others think."

"You want to understand?" Haku hissed as he stood up, looking down at Naruto with a livid snarl.

Before the blond could retaliate, the patient stepped forward and landed a forceful kick right at the center of his chest, knocking every breath of air out of his lungs. Naruto flew back out of the chair, sliding into a small end table with a desperate wheeze. His eyes scanned the room in a panicked fury before realizing Haku remained standing in the same spot, his expression calming into nothing more than a frown. He closed his eyes as he tried to catch his breath, too dizzy to try and sit up.

"I wanted to be a doctor once."

The door opened once again, letting in two guards who did not rush in nor handle Haku as aggressively as they did Kiba or even Sasuke. Instead, they took a firm hold of both his arms and led him peacefully out of the room, not taking the time to ask Naruto if he was okay or not. When Kakashi reentered the room, he already concluded that he had deserved it. He lost control in the beginning, and the fight to get it back only exacerbated the situation, leaving him with ten minutes of unused time and a constant struggle for air.

"Thanks for the help," Naruto coughed, leaning onto his elbows.

"I figured if I was discrete you would not make a bigger scene," he explained with a sly smile as he leaned against the doorframe. "I probably should have mentioned that he's a kicker."

"Is that your attempt at a joke?"

"No, I mean that literally. He kicks. Hard," Kakashi emphasized, his smile turning sympathetic. "With the way you conduct yourself you should have probably thought to sit a bit farther back."

"God, you're hilarious," he grunted as he heaved himself to his feet, taking in a deep breath to finally calm his breathing. "Not all the patients you give me have to have psychotic episodes, you know!"

"Oh, that wasn't a psychotic episode," the doctor declared with a short wave of his index finger, beckoning the apprentice to follow him back to the lobby. "Not even close."

"Then what the hell was that?" Naruto grumbled as he snatched his bag off the floor.

"Besides deserved?"

"You're not funny."

"But you are," Kakashi jeered with a provoking prod to the blond's side. "Whenever you're put in a stressful situation, your reaction is always different."

"I get it!" he growled under his breath. "I won't lose control of the conversation again."

"You must explain to me how one loses something they never had," the man sighed as they stopped before the lobby door. "Sometimes, the patient's reaction is beyond them and even beyond you. The only thing to do when that happens is act accordingly. You don't have to dominate every challenge you come across, Naruto."

"Then how the hell am I supposed to work?" he snapped crossing his arms with a defiant stare. "Letting them have control over _my_ session? I don't think so! I'm here to find out why the kid is hearing things and assuming everyone is lying to him."

"I don't want to keep asking you to refrain from your arrogance, Naruto," Kakashi groaned as he rubbed his temples. "Please, act accordingly."

"Whatever," Naruto huffed, not wanting to admit that the man's words actually struck him harder than he would have liked.

Kakashi chuckled to himself, something of a pleased smirk was detectable in his features before he opened the door to the patient lobby. There were more of them out and about than he remembered from the last time he had bothered to look around, still with a variety of colors scattered about the area, save for white. He could not focus on any particular patient with the colors mixing perfectly into one another; he didn't know where to start. What was supposed to happen by meeting them?

"How about you try the ones closest to you," Kakashi whispered with an encouraging push to the blond's side, making him stagger with slightly weak knees.

Resisting the urge to glare back at the man, Naruto focused his attention on the small table with three patients playing a game of cards. Two girls, one green and one orange, and an orange boy. Interesting.

"I win!" The orange girl with short and choppy pink hair exclaimed as she displayed her empty hands triumphantly. She had a creamy complexion with a mischievous smile and eyes that sparkled like emeralds.

"No! You get carded for saying 'I win', idiot!" the orange boy with white hair that was cut at about the same length. He had a sharp toothy smile and fierce amethysts eyes.

"You're so full of it, Suigetsu!" she spat while slapping away the card he handed her. "Since when was that a rule?"

"Since I made it after I won last game!" he proclaimed with a wide smirk.

"You never told us what your new rule was!"

"Sakura, remember he doesn't have to tell us what the new rule is. Sometimes the only way for us to find out is to get carded," the green girl finally spoke. Her voice was noticeably less aggressive than the others, and her smile came more naturally to her. She had light brown eyes with dark hair that was kept in two tight buns at the top of her head. Her body language seemed more relaxed than the others as she leaned forward to pat the girl referred to as Sakura.

There was something in her glare that made Naruto expect a deck of cards flying across the room, but she simply closed her eyes with a shake of her head. "Whatever. When I do win then I'll get rid of that stupid rule."

After a gulp of air and a nod of assurance to himself, Naruto took another step toward them, invading whatever personal space they must have maintained because all their attention instantly turned to him. The boy known as Suigetsu looked up at him intensely, his eyes narrow with suspicion while the two girls merely stared at him in question.

"And who the hell are you?" the boy spoke first, crossing his arms in a manner that reminded him of Kiba.

"Hello," Naruto greeted awkwardly, feeling like it was already too late for that. "I am Naruto Uzumaki—"

"It's you!" Sakura pointed with a loud gasp that attracted more unwanted attention from others nearby. "You're the one that had Kiba put down!"

The brown eyed girl seemed apprehensive at the mention, but did not shy away like Sakura did with her finger still pointing at him indignantly. Suigetsu jumped up at the familiar name, standing much closer to Naruto than he was comfortable with anymore. He was not in the mood for this, not after Haku.

"So you looking for more people to put down or what, Doc?" he asked with another wide smile that was putting the blond off less and less the more he saw it.

Gathering a bit more courage after hearing him speak, Naruto merely put his finger to the orange boy and pushed him back lightly. "Don't call me that. And no, it is never my intention to have anyone sedated. I'm here to help."

Sakura giggled loudly, grabbing the notice of almost everybody in the room as she nudged the green girl with her elbow. "A lot of help he was, right Tenten?"

Tenten shrugged, her eyes trailing down to their neglected game. It seemed that she would rather have continued than have to converse with him. "Who knows. Kiba asks for it sometimes."

Ignoring the girl next to her, Sakura stood up with her hands to her hips, joining Suigetsu in making Naruto feel _extremely_ closed in. There was still a playful look in the way she cocked her eyebrow while her gaze roamed up and down his body. Was she... sizing him up?

"A pity, Mr. Uzumaki," she finally sighed, though it was dripping with sarcasm. "If you tried you could look so much cooler than you do, now."

"I'm afraid fashion advice is not the main reason I am here, Sakura," he spoke her name at the risk of severe consequence, but she seemed delighted at the use, perking up at the sound. "I'm more interested in the game you all were playing." He gestured toward the table, making the two take a step back, pondering whether they should keep close to him or sit back down.

"You never heard of Cork?" Suigetsu scoffed with a roll of his eyes, waving him off as he sat back down, much to Naruto's relief. "What kind of doctor is this?"

"It's really easy, Mr. Uzumaki," Sakura explained excitedly as she wrapped herself around his arm and pulled him to the table. "Move Tenten, he's sitting by me!" It almost sounded like a threat, but the girl obeyed with no more than a nod. He landed in his seat, unable to sit upright with the pink-haired girl clinging to his arm as she pointed to the deck at the middle. "The object is to get rid of all your cards without breaking the rules. Breaking the rules gets you carded by the Court Nazi." A stern look to Suigetsu. "You have to put down cards of the same suit and the only way to change suits is to put down the same number or face card."

"That sounds quite simple," Naruto commented with a tiny smile to the girl. "Yet you are such a sore loser."

This earned a heated glare from her as he expected, but no she made no move to distance herself from or lash out at him. "I wasn't _finished_."

"The winner of each round gets to make a new rule," Tenten began, though she kept her eyes on the table. "That new rule and all previous rules still apply in the next round. It's hard to keep track sometimes."

"I see," he mused as he pulled his arm from Sakura's grasp. "What kind of rules do you make?"

"Every time you change suits you have to knock," Suigetsu cut in. "And when you put down a seven you have to say, 'Have a nice day'."

"I made the rule where if you put down the jack of hearts you have to say, 'Light as a feather, straight as a rainbow'," Sakura added with a pleased smirk.

The way that they smiled at him combined with how completely _ridiculous_ the game was yet how seriously they explained it to him, it was too much. Naruto could not help but laugh, leaving the others to stare at him like he was the one who had said something strange. Haku aside, there was still something familiar about these new faces that put him at ease, but he was not sure what it was. It would be the simplest thing to have each of them one by one talking to him, opening up to him, and reluctantly revealing themselves to him in ways they did not fully comprehend. However, it was different to have them together at once. What was the drive that kept the three of them moving along without any conflict? Was it something as simple as a made up card game?

"I think he's a quack," Suigetsu whispered to Sakura who only nodded in reply.

"No," he tried to calm himself by coughing, not enjoying the ache it made him feel in his chest. "Deal me in. It sounds like fun."

* * *

**A/N: **Thank you for your reviews, messages, and alerts. I enjoy the conversations I've had with some of you one on one. It is really fun and insightful. So thank you, again, for your interest in my story.

**Next Chapter Sneak Peek:**

_"You did say that intimacy was the best ice-breaker."_

_"That's not funny!"_

_"I'm glad you agree," Kakashi snapped, his grim tone returning to him as he faced the bewildered apprentice. "I found no amusement in what you did. You were extremely careless and you could have been seriously hurt."_


	5. Inertia

**Chapter Four**

"_Think before yo__**u **__a__**n**__s__**w**__er, for __**i**__t __**s**__hall b__**e**__ done as you decide. As you decide, you shall be left as you were before..."_

_-R.L.S., "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"_

* * *

He had already returned from a weekend of self torture and frustration and he was determined to make the start of his week better. The prognosis on that, however, was still undetermined as he practically sprinted after Kakashi while slipping his body through the cracks of the second floor doors as they shut behind him, not having the breath to try and call after him, only to keep up. His weekend has been a mix of staring and wallowing. Whether it was in self pity or uncertainty was still being realized, but the staring was where the true disappointment lied. His cell phone sat before him blank, empty, and unused for a few days, and he had tried to resist the temptation to call.

But he did. And nothing seemed quite right after he did. This feeling only worsened when he arrived at Kakashi's office with the doctor looking completely beside himself with shock. A single paper was folded in his hand, but as soon as the blond set foot in the office he was out the door and making his way to the second floor without so much as a 'hello' or a 'follow me'. What else could have possibly gone wrong?

Naruto was fully aware that he was scheduled for another session with Sasuke in the morning in the interrogation room. The room where the still image beyond that pane of glass was still burned into his memory which left him feeling like anything but himself. The room where his uncertainty gave way to selfishness, and nothing went right since then. But what did that say about Kakashi and the odd start to the morning without giving Naruto the time to prepare himself?

"Kakashi... Wait!" He managed to wheeze out, still feeling the stiffness in his chest from when Haku kicked him.

"What the hell did you do?" Kakashi's voice was almost at a shout, bringing the young man to a halt just before the familiar wooden door, but he was not looking at Naruto.

"Dr. Hatake," a memorable nerve-racking voice made the rest of Naruto's conviction vanish as he tried to compose himself before the head doctor. Orochimaru was leaning against the door, as if he were guarding it from something, with his standard sinister expression that made the blond want nothing more than to turn back and run the other way. What the hell was it with this man? "You've arrived early."

"Ino just gave me your note when I got in," Kakashi snapped as he waved the folded paper, "This is something you should have told me from the beginning! This changes things."

"This changes nothing. The only person that truly needs to know is Mr. Uzumaki, don't you think?" Orochimaru asked, his smirk becoming wider as he pushed away from the door. "The only reason I sent it to you is that he does not have his own inbox. Regardless of these changes, they do not alter the fact that Mr. Uzumaki is still going to be scheduled for regular sessions with the Uchiha."

"You've had Sasuke off his medication for _three_ days!"

It was as if Naruto had been kicked in the chest all over again, and he could not utter a single word. Sasuke was... conscious? More so than Naruto already predicted he was?

"Don't exaggerate, Dr. Hatake; I merely took out his regular hypnotics and cut the haloperidol dosage in half. Is that not what you wanted?"

"Naruto is not prepared to handle that kind of instability. Sasuke has not been given enough time to recover from that depressant state."

"That is not for you to decide," Orochimaru's statement came off more forebodingly as he began to walk away, giving Naruto an unwanted pat on the shoulder as he passed. "Mr. Uzumaki will continue his sessions as he is or I will find someone of _my_ choosing."

Kakashi remained silent and immobile, letting the tension practically break the blond in half until the other man's footsteps finally faded into the distance. Without a word, he pushed the door open, marching in just to crumple up the paper and throw it into a dark corner of the room. Naruto followed more reluctantly, his eyes scanning the familiar surroundings as well as the empty concrete room on the other side of the glass. Sasuke would be arriving soon.

"Kakashi..." he spoke quietly at first, making sure that the man was not about to fly into a livid frenzy. "I think I'll be okay."

"It's not you, Naruto," he groaned in reply, trying to regain his composure by rubbing his forehead, his eyes shut tightly as if he were trying to concentrate on something. "I cannot stand when he does that to them. It's like he does not care about the kind of stress he is forcing upon them when he changes their prescriptions on a whim. Do you have any idea what could change?"

Actually, he did not really want to think about it. He was not prepared for what he would find if he did. "I can imagine... that it would give me a different understanding of Sasuke. Maybe I can even get him to talk now that the haze will be lifted."

His reply never came. The man was too absorbed in his thoughts to really give Naruto the attention. That was when the door on the other side was opened. Kakashi looked up, and then back at Naruto with a bit more poise. "There really isn't a choice."

But Naruto could not respond. His back when straight as he watched the guards lead Sasuke into the room, the scene felt like a bizarre sense of déjà vu, as if nothing was out of the ordinary. The zip-ties put him in place, and Sasuke slumped over exactly as he had done before. It turned the image to stone right before his eyes, but he knew that there was a difference, he just couldn't see it. However, it was his job to expose it before 30 minutes passed them by and take something away from the session that he could use. He walked out of the small dark room and nodded to the guard who stood in front of the latched metal door. It opened with a loud clang that echoed off the bare concrete walls as the guard pulled it open to reveal his patient who had not budged from his curled-in position against the metal chair.

"_There is not a lot that sets you apart from them._"

He hesitated. _Damnit_. During all of the commotion he had momentarily forgotten the words that had been repeating in his head, tormenting him without a moment's rest until he stepped foot back into the Konoha District. The words were casual, but carried all the truth and conviction with which Iruka meant them, and there was no escaping from them. But it was not the time for him to be dwelling on those words wishing that he had left himself to stare at his phone a while longer; it was time to work.

"Good morning, Sasuke," he greeted boldly, the sound echoing off the walls and jolting the movement back into his body. The air was stagnant as he entered, and the patient remained completely still. It was as if there was no difference at all. "It's good to see you again. I heard you've had a change in pace over the weekend."

The silence resounded more powerfully while the Sasuke's body retained its slumped shape. Naruto bit down onto his tongue in contemplation, keeping his thoughts on his next move. It was the same and would always be the same outcome if he did not do something different. It pissed him off to no end when he could not meet the other's gaze to have at least the possibility of insight. With a deep breath through his nose, he walked around the table to Sasuke's side.

"You know, I have this annoyance, more of a pet peeve, really," he explained, not thinking twice as he took hold of the other's chin and forced him to look up, something he was sure Kakashi was displeased by. His next words were immediately caught in his throat, unprepared for the eyes that stared back up at him expectantly. They were completely black, infinite voids that fell into oblivion. Everything about this young man, from his charcoal hair against his ivory skin to his slender neck which revealed a line of deep red dots that reached all the way around, was frightening yet remarkable. For a second, while staring into the pitiless depths, he did not want to know what the previous medication had forced into dormancy.

"Twenty thousand... eight hundred and thirty seven—Well?" the question was so sudden that Naruto wondered if he even saw Sasuke's lips move at all. "What is it?" He sounded interested, though his unchanged expression said otherwise.

Naruto paused, almost having forgotten what he was talking about. Sasuke... spoke to him? "Look at me when I'm talking to you."

He released Sasuke's chin, a weird shiver running down his spine when the young man obeyed, keeping his eyes glued to the blond as Naruto dug his hands into his pockets. Being caught in such a stare was something he never experienced before. It differed from Kakashi's indolent yet kind eyes, Orochimaru's creeper vibe, or Haku's passive gaze. This... was uncomfortable. It was completely black and unnatural the way they burned into him, tearing away any self confidence he managed to salvage from the days before.

He sighed, more so out of necessity for sound. If there was one thing he had figured, it was that he did not want there to be a silent moment between them. "Thank you." No reply. Sasuke's hawk-like stare continued unrelentingly, making Naruto's body feel as if he had been shaken violently, and the world would not stop its perpetual movement beneath his feet long enough for him to feel stable again.

"It is my understanding that you grew up in near Konoha. I found that to be rather interesting. Could you tell me what it was like growing up there for you?"

A vacant stare was all the received in response. Aside from that brief sentence, Sasuke had hardly moved at all.

"Did you have any friends growing up?"

Naruto refused to blink away from him. There was no way that he would let his obstinacy rule the discussion. There had to be something to get this guy to talk to him again.

"Anyone you hung out with at school?"

Still nothing. His pen sat atop a blank sheet of paper, and that was beginning to unnerve him. The fact that Sasuke wouldn't answer was worth noting, but his hand refused to reach for it. No, not until he got a reaction from him again. His questions were too obvious; he was going to have to revert back to the direct approach.

"Is there a reason you're refusing to talk to me, Sasuke?"

"Is there a reason you're asking such irrelevant questions. Mr. Uzumaki?" Sasuke retorted almost immediately. His voice was smooth, authoritative, and somehow pensive. It definitely lacked a questioning inflection.

Naruto took a moment to think about his reply, not expecting the Uchiha to answer him so soon. "I'm just curious, Sasuke. Is there something wrong with that?"

"I don't see why that matters," he answered.

"I'm sorry," Naruto began, "but there are some things I'd rather ascertain for myself."

"You don't sound it."

"Pardon?"

"Sorry. You don't sound sorry," Sasuke pointed out. His body hardly moved whenever he spoke. He never leaned forward or tilted his head which made Naruto wonder if he ever used hand gestures when he conversed with other doctors. "It hurts my feelings when people lie to me. And I did have a lot of friends growing up, if that helps you."

"Well," Naruto mused more cynically which earned a slightly quizzical look from the Uchiha. "I guess that makes two of us. I hate being lied to. In fact, I feel insulted that you would try to, given the circumstances."

Sasuke did not respond to him with anything. He hadn't blinked or even parted his lips to even breathe the next rejoinder. When caught, he must have simply retreated back to his apathetic state in wait for Naruto's next move. He was a liar, and he did it so well that the blond wanted to believe him, but he knew better. After what he had read he was not sure what he was supposed to do with a person like Sasuke, but the session seemed to be flowing along without too many hindrances. He had to keep the conversation moving.

"It will work best for the both of us to be comfortable enough to cooperate with one another."

"Comforting is the last thing I would call this encounter, Mr. Uzumaki," Sasuke interjected swiftly while tapping his nails against the chair's handles. The sound drew Naruto's attention down to his wrists which were tied down so tightly that it looked painful, though the Uchiha hardly seemed to notice.

"Despite what you think, I _am_ sorry," Naruto assured as he pulled something out of his pocket. "And I apologize again for the fact that this meeting couldn't be done under more comfortable circumstances. But this should help."

Or this should make it worse.

He leaned forward after searching through his pocket knife to find a pair of scissors. He could feel Sasuke's eyes on him as he bent over and sawed through the zip-ties around his wrists, noticing that they left thin red bruises from how tight they were. Though he knew the precaution was, somewhat, necessary, he couldn't help but feel frustrated at the thought of how violently these patients must have been treated. The thought had also been brought on by the red marks left around Sasuke's neck, but he could not imagine what could have left them. Were they self inflicted?

Before he could back away to have a better look, he felt a hand grip onto his shirt and pull him closer to Sasuke, making every hair on the back of his neck stand on end. Without a second thought, Naruto threw the pocket knife to the far corner of the room, his breath hitching in his throat when a cold hand touched the side of his face. The slender digits slid from his cheek, outlining his jaw until they took hold of his chin, turning his head until he stared into Sasuke's unblinking gaze.

"Are you comfortable, now, Dr. Uzumaki?" the question lingered in the air as his lips pressed against Naruto's. Even the soft feel of his lips was unbearably cold, making the blond shudder visibly as he shut his eyes tightly. The warm breath of his calm exhale brushed against his cheek as Sasuke's tongue coaxed its way past his lips and into his mouth, sliding against Naruto's tongue, eliciting another violent twitch.

There was the click of the latch as the door was practically thrown open with a grating scrape. Naruto jumped back, eyes wide with terror as three guards ran in, two of which grabbed Sasuke's arms, meeting no resistance as the other brought out the blindfold. Naruto had a hand over his mouth, trying to calm his breathing through his nose while never once breaking eye contact. Of all the things he had expected from this man he never would have guessed _that_ would be his first move. How the hell was he supposed to react to that?

As the blindfold came over those dark eyes, he felt as if a great pressure had been relieved from his shoulders. He let out a shaky, yet quiet, breath allowing his chest to deflate and making him cringe inward as they led the white-clad patient out of the room. Moments after their departure, swift footsteps entered the room, but Naruto already knew who it was.

"Say something," he mumbled through his hand, "You know you want to."

"And what do you expect me to say?" Kakashi asked as he crossed his arms.

"That I was a bit... unorthodox?"

"You think?" His question bit at him sharply, but the blond only nodded. "This isn't Kiba, Naruto. You're dealing with an important case. I thought you'd take that responsibility more seriously."

"I do!" Naruto exclaimed defensively. "I just needed to gauge the situation for myself!"

"And what have you gathered on your quest for enlightenment?"

"I don't know!" he blurted, hearing an odd strain in his voice that was torn between aggravation and a whimper. This was a losing battle; his hands were shaking noticeably at his sides and his entire body was beginning to tremble. His mind was racing around countless ways to calm his nerves which seemed to render the rest of his senses completely useless. "What... What else am I supposed to do?"

Kakashi kept quiet as he stared at the blond's reaction. Naruto knew he was forming some solution like the experienced psychologist that he was, but that only made him feel worse.

"Come on. Let's finish this discussion in my office."

"I don't need your pity!"

"So I suppose I should let you have your breakdown here?" Kakashi's statement was a cruel slap back to reality. He was right, though. Naruto needed a quiet place to calm down, and he owed him a proper explanation with all the observations and inferences aside.

Returning to the quiet sanctity of the office actually seemed to help bring peace to Naruto's frantic thoughts. Out of everything he had experienced throughout the day, he had still associated Kakashi's plush green office with order and some form of familiarity.

More often than not, the blond found himself extremely overwhelmed by the little things that nobody seemed to notice. Without a parent to show him how, he had grown accustomed to the harsh actuality that was human nature. What was he supposed to do with things he could not understand? Where did his faults end and the faults of others begin? Was that what they called human nature?

"You're angry," Kakashi pointed out as he closed the door behind them.

"No..." Naruto muttered with a shake of his head. He found support against the desk as he watched his fingers curl until his nails had dug themselves deep into his palms. He wanted to punch the desk, let the pain take over his body before the numbness set in, but he couldn't bring himself to lift his arm. "This... wasn't supposed to happen..."

"It was interesting how well you took to Kiba, despite how you typically respond to aggression," the older man continued his thoughtful assessment as if putting together the obvious points of a simple riddle. "You even got angry on his behalf when _you_ were the one being assaulted. You don't hide your fondness for those most like you very well when you do that. The similarities are astounding. So what is it?"

"Stop talking like you know everything!" he finally snapped, slamming his knuckles onto the desk with a shout, disappointed that he did not feel anything. "I'm not your goddamn patient!"

Everything in the room went still as the silence settled between them. It was then that he noticed just how deeply he had been inhaling. His breathing was no longer shallow or erratic when he breathed out but steady as if it was expelling all the panicked thoughts that still swarmed about his head. Regardless, it made the ache in his chest almost unbearable. He felt dizzy, and nothing could be done to restore balance. There was no control, and he could not focus on a single thought before his mind would go completely blank.

"I... I'm sorry," he finally spoke, trying to cling desperately to a more recognizable part of himself. This was not how he wanted to be.

"This is quite the mixed state you're in," Kakashi affirmed after another brief pause. Probably wondering if it was wise to point it out at all. "Though the trigger is what puzzles me. Do you really fear him that much?"

"HE FUCKING KISSED ME!"

"You did say that intimacy was the best ice-breaker."

"That's _not_ funny!"

"I'm glad you agree," Kakashi snapped, his grim tone returning to him as he faced the bewildered apprentice. "I found no amusement in what you did. You were extremely careless and you could have been seriously hurt."

"No," Naruto interjected, finding his voice as he turned to face him. "He wouldn't hurt me. Not like that."

"Don't act like you were in control of the situation. We both know you weren't."

"It's not like that!" He groaned. "He... has nothing to gain by hurting me there."

"And kissing you surely accomplished something?" Kakashi questioned with a raise of his brow. It was a better distraction. His questions seemed to engage Naruto's mind more than he realized because he was able to focus with a bit more clarity. "What is your take on the situation, then?"

Naruto shivered at the mere thought of Sasuke's lips against his. The numbing sensation became something of a dull ache, creating a heaviness that made it impossible to move. The inertia was suffocating, and he found himself clinging to the man's words less before he came across a single remark. It was so off putting that he had almost forgotten, but in the midst of his dejection he found himself more fascinated by it.

"How many minutes are in a week?"

* * *

**A/N: ** Scytheofchaos: When I said reviews stress me out I really meant that I stress myself out over them because I want to meet your expectations. I should have worded it differently, and I apologize.

**Next Chapter Sneak Peek:**

"_You must forgive our haste, Mr. Uzumaki," the strange man hummed as he turned back around. "It is not often that we have an audience."_

_Naruto's stomach was twisting itself into a nauseatingly tight knot as he struggled to find his words. He felt nothing short of absolute terror. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" He lurched forward, reaching out to grab his coat only to be pulled back by the guard who had let him in. "You can't do that!"_


	6. Static

**Chapter Five**

_"'I am ashamed o__**f **__my long tongue. L__**e**__t us make __**a **__bargain never to refe__**r**__ to this again.'"_

_R.L.S., "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"_

* * *

"Look! Right here!" Naruto pulled a piece of paper out of the many that lay strewn across Kakashi's desk. "The last time Sasuke's medication was doubled was almost two weeks exactly!"

"I see a day of rest has not served to calm you down at all," the man sighed as he brought a pair of reading glasses to his eyes. "You've been going too fast for me. Slow down."

"No! I've been thinking about it all night and now I'm showing you!" he insisted, his grip practically crushing the paper. "Today makes two weeks and a day since then."

"What does that matter when it was changed again three days ago?"

"Twenty thousand eight hundred and thirty seven," he mumbled to himself, though he felt as if the effect was lost on Kakashi. Did he not find it at all uncanny that it counted almost the exact number of minutes from his medication change to their session? Was that not something that was worth a notice? Better yet, how the hell was that even possible? "How could you not realize it?"

"Because after taking into consideration all of his strictly controlled activities, such a thing would not seem too outlandish. Besides, we should focus on your strategy before you meet with him again. That is a more important subject."

"Well, what is he on?"

"I haven't received his recent medical form, so we can't be entirely sure of what he's on yet."

Naruto groaned as he brought his forehead to the desk with a light thud. "To change it that drastically after just two weeks? Who the hell does this guy think he is?"

"He is the head doctor of the Konoha District, Naruto," the disgruntled man assured without looking up. "That title does not come to just anybody."

"Yeah, yeah," he huffed, not at all interested in the man's credentials. "So, how long before he switches it up on me again?"

Kakashi shook his head looking like he was resisting the urge to sigh in exasperation any more than he already had. His eyes were tired, like always, but there was something else. Uneasiness? Concern? It was hard to get a proper read on him, but Naruto was not comfortable enough to ask outright, especially after a disastrous weekend followed by his first session of the week that turned out just as poorly. Maybe it was best to keep quiet for the time being.

"You look like you want to ask me something." _Unless_ his stupid observation skills caught him during a brief moment of trepidation.

"Not really," Naruto mumbled his reply, releasing the thin paper from his hand.

With a snort of disbelief, Kakashi leaned forward, resting his arms atop the disarray of medical forms to give the blond his full attention. "Do I seem upset to you?"

"A little," he admitted though still feeling hesitant about revealing his own insecurities. "I just... want to make things right. I don't want you to be bothered with me as much."

This earned a contented chuckle from the doctor as he leaned back into his chair, his expression softening as he removed his glasses. "Are you trying to comfort me, Naruto?"

"_No_!" he snapped, crossing his arms. "I just felt like pointing out how pathetic you look for worrying so much. That's it!"

All the distress that had been building up since the day before was diminishing under such cheap provocation, but he could not help himself. Kakashi seemed to know exactly what to say to irritate him the most and make him want to do anything but aid him in any way. He really hated that the man had that kind of effect on him with no more than a few words. That had to change.

Without giving him the chance to think up another retort or challenging remark, the door opened without so much as a warning knock. Naruto turned, his hands going numb when he noticed the head doctor strolling casually towards them.

"Looks like you two are hard at work."

"Sir," Kakashi greeted firmly, though Naruto could not help but think that he detected a bit of suspicion. "I did not know you'd be down here, today."

"Your session went well?" Orochimaru asked, ignoring the other doctor as he faced Naruto directly. He must have known for damn sure that it went anything but well, but there was nothing he could do about it.

"Not exactly," Naruto mumbled, trying to keep his eyes in contact with Orochimaru's as he approached.

"Give yourself more credit, Mr. Uzumaki," he replied with a slow shake of his head. "Any kind of reaction from that boy is a marvelous feat. You've surprised me."

"Sir, if you don't mind," Kakashi's interjection was what made the blond realize that he had been holding his breath. The full attention of the head doctor was still too much for him to handle, but he didn't know why. "We're in the middle of going through Sasuke's papers."

"Well, it will have to wait," Orochimaru said with a knowing smirk. "Naruto will be joining me to observe Sasuke's next session with our head nurse."

There was a noticeable twitch in Kakashi's brow that deepened his displeased frown. "With Kabuto?"

"Is there a problem?"

Was there? Naruto studied the man's features, trying to unveil the source of his discomfort, but it was still no use. Kakashi was reluctantly conceding. "It's just... a bit soon."

"To see the nurse?"he found himself asking. A chance to see Sasuke without having to engage him was a better prospect than any. He was not ready for contact just yet, but it seemed like a favorable opportunity.

"You worry too much, Dr. Hatake," Orochimaru's sounded like a low purr. "Mr. Uzumaki will be just fine.

And just as suddenly, he wasn't so sure.

* * *

Each time he had to climb the stair to the second floor, Solitary, his feet felt heavier, like a block of lead weighed down each step. It was dread, or perhaps it was something else. Without Kakashi there to guide him up, the sensation suddenly became more real. Orochimaru was not exactly the consoling type; in fact, Naruto had not relaxed his muscles since the man had set foot in the office. It was a demoralizing presence he had that overwhelmed any tranquil atmosphere and left it barren, save for all the despondent feelings he left in his wake.

Naruto stopped abruptly, almost running into the man who was standing before a solid white door. The corridor was not familiar and was, somehow, more desolate than the rest of the floor. This hallway was tall, perfectly straight without a single bend or crevice until the end in either direction. Maybe he was trying to give himself something to look at. Anything else was better than looking ahead.

Three quick knocks echoed into the air before fading just as quickly, making Naruto stand back at attention. The lock was pulled back with an eerie scrape before the door was opened to a guard who stepped back revealing... a man in white. A long white coat was draped over his shoulders with a white nametag spelled "Kabuto" in dark blue letters that was pinned onto a pocket. He had silver hair, like Kakashi's, but contrasting Naruto's mentor, his was much longer and fine, pulled back into a neat ponytail. His eyes were dark and slightly narrow; peering at them through wiry-framed glasses with the most transparent smile the blond had ever seen. There was something about this man, much like Orochimaru, that was inherently off-putting.

"Doctor," Kabuto greeted as he stepped aside to let them in. "What an unexpected surprise. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

What a kiss ass! Naruto grimaced at the disgustingly sweet cordiality that was obviously being done for the sake of looking impressive.

"Mr. Uzumaki, meet Kabuto Yakushi, our head nurse of the Konoha District."

The apprentice nodded his head in acknowledgment, unsure of how to feel about the other man's eyes on him. "Mr. Uzumaki. How convenient of you to show up. We're about to start out next session," he explained as he pulled a white cloth over his mouth and nose, leaving a much more cruel look in his eyes than before.

There was a certain aloofness to his voice that gave Naruto a familiar tight prickling against his skin. With that, he took a careful look around the space they had entered. Three faceless nurses worked around a patient bed for preparation. The sheets were white. Almost everything was. A monitor sat to the right of the bed with loose wires dangling flat sensors which kept the monitor blank and unmoving.

"Is that... an electroencephalogram?"

"A good assumption, but no," Kabuto answered as he fit on a pair of latex gloves. "And you may want to step back. I hear you have a tendency to get hurt on the job."

"Did you, now?" Naruto grumbled with annoyance while taking a step back. "Care to fill me in on what kind of session you're running here?

Before he received an answer, there was a hard demanding knock from the other side of the door, making everyone in the room halt except for the guard as he opened it.

"Right on time," Kabuto announced with a gesture toward the bed. "We're ready for him."

The guard at the entrance only grunted in reply as he, along with another, dragged Sasuke into the room. However, it could not have been Sasuke. The patient was struggling furiously, even after they removed the blindfold. Every part of him was moving, arms pulling, legs kicking, and waist thrusting his body in any awkward direction they could manage. It was too surreal to believe that this was his patient he was looking at. This was the same Sasuke who had kissed him during their morning session the day before. The same Sasuke whose reserve unnerved Naruto more than anything, was displaying such violence as if he were in a panic.

His eyes were no longer unsympathetic and dark, but wide as they moved about the room landing on Naruto for only a second before he was thrown onto the bed. His head and torso were completely drenched; his bangs stuck to his face and neck, covering most of the red marks. The white shirt had become transparent, clinging to his abdomen and exposing the ghastly frame of his ribcage. He was entirely too thin.

There was a hiss, a threatening snarl through his teeth as leather straps were secured around his wrists and ankles, tying him down completely.

"What are you doing?" Naruto questioned incredulously, instinctively backing himself into a nearby counter. What were they doing to Sasuke that made him act that way? "Hey!"

"Don't be rude," Orochimaru demanded, his eyes intently focused on the subdued patient. A wide grin of mockery spread across his face. "You are here to observe, not intervene."

Naruto scowled, biting his tongue as he watched them place the small sensors at his temples and others lining the side of his body. Sasuke's eyes went wider, still darting between all the unseen faces that must have appeared to be a continuous white blur. There was no fear traceable in his features as he continued to fight against his restraints. It was anticipation.

"You must forgive our haste, Mr. Uzumaki," the strange man hummed as he turned back around. "It is not often that we have an audience."

Naruto's stomach was twisting itself into a nauseatingly tight knot as he struggled to find his words. He felt nothing short of absolute terror. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" He lurched forward, reaching out to grab his coat only to be pulled back by the guard who had let him in. "You can't do that!" His voice became hoarse as he dug his nails into the guard's arm. "STOP! H-he's not anesthetized! Sasuke!"

There was no recognition, no second to negotiate or stall the procedure before Kabuto turned the dial on the output. The sound of static cracked into the room, making Sasuke's body lift from the bed, managing a strangled sound that split between a cough and a desperate cry. His every muscle clenched, his back forcing itself to arch much farther than it should have. Finally, an ear piercing screech managed to escape through his throat, making Naruto feel faint as he leaned back into the counter. Sasuke's limbs began to twist, earning another sound that came out muffled through his grinding teeth.

"STOP IT!"

"Mr. Uzumaki, please calm yourself," Kabuto sighed as he turned the output off.

Sasuke fell back onto the bed, panting heavily and eyes moving more lazily as they looked about the room.

"What do you think you're doing?" he cut the 'nurse' short. "You—"

"Electroconvulsive therapy is not an unheard of practice, Mr. Uzumaki," Kabuto interrupted with a point to the worn out patient. "Not even for a case like his." There was a hint of amusement in that statement that reminded him too much of Orochimaru, who had taken place next to the bed. That had to be why he was the head nurse over anyone else...

"This is uncalled for!" he spat. "Untie him, now!"

"Did I not already tell you to not be rude?" Orochimaru asked with a raise of his brow. A hand gently stroked Sasuke's side, running over the sensors and the spaces in between where his ribs were.

Sasuke did not do anything. He could do little more than pant desperately while looking to the other side. From that angle, Naruto could see how hollow of a person Sasuke actually was. It was seen in the sharp definition of his cheeks and jaw, the dips in his collarbone, and the way his stomach caved in when he inhaled. He truly was a sickly sight to see and it made Naruto feel ill.

"Don't..."

"We're keeping steady output," Kabuto stated as he turned to the other nurses, grabbing Sasuke by his chin and forcing him to look up as he shined a small light in each eye. "No noticeable change. The patient is not responding."

"Yes he is!"

"We're at 91/60," a female nurse affirmed with another look to the monitor.

"Then we'll proceed," he declared as he turned the output again, making Naruto nearly retch at the sound of Sasuke's gurgled howl.

"Mr. Uzumaki, you don't look so well," Orochimaru pointed out in a teasing smirk as he came back to the blond's side.

"I don't want to see this! This is wrong!" he gasped for air, looking down while feeling his body pulling itself inward from the tension. "Why did you bring me here?"

A cold hand took hold of his chin, forcing him to look back up into the snake-like eyes that leered down at him with an undecipherable fascination. "An interesting response for someone who entered an asylum for this kind of work. Is there something _wrong_?"Answering that question would doom him and he knew it, so he remained silent.

He flinched, feeling another hand running up his stomach until resting calmly on top of his heart. "You feel it here the most."

His stomach dropped, taking any ability of responding with it, leaving Naruto capable of no more than gasping at the sudden contact. Orochimaru was touching him, he was staring down at him, but the worst of it was that he was trying to study him. There was nothing he could do.

Sasuke's voice finally stopped as Kabuto and the other nurses closed in on him for closer inspection, shielding the patient from view entirely. They really had become a haze of white, and the smell of something burning made him feel more nauseated. Black circles dotted his vision as he tried to focus again, but could not bring himself to look up again.

"I'll let you in on a secret, though," Orochimaru's voice whispered into his ear, making the darkness in his eyes grow. There was a light tap against Naruto's temple that vibrated against his skull until it made his entire body go numb.

"_It's all in there."_

* * *

**Next Chapter Sneak Peek: **

"_No, I won't," he pleaded as he took hold of the boy's hand, "I won't ever try to hurt you."_

"_You're a liar."_


	7. Manipulation is Key

**Chapter Six**

"_I had taken a __**l**__oath__**i**__ng to my gentlem__**a**__n at fi__**r**__st sight."_

_-R.L.S., "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"_

* * *

The world had been engulfed by a fire he could not see. Flames consumed him from his core, but he could not escape no matter which way he turned. He reached out into the abyss hoping to grasp something, anything, before it was all lost. A growl echoed within the black confines, shaking the mass he stood upon until it resonated throughout his entire body. It was both near and far, yet all the spaces in between at once.

"_No…"_

The growl became louder and the flames grew larger, making a panicked screech cut into the obscurity that robbed him of all his senses.

"_Stop it!"_

Darkness was total.

"Naruto!"

He kicked upward with a jolt, suddenly blinded by a white light directly above him. With a terrified yelp, he launched himself from the flat surface he was laying on and pushed himself until his back hit the wall.

"Naruto! Please calm down!" a familiar voice demanded, yet was somehow gentle. "If you don't—"

"I'll sedate you!" A firm female voice finished, a threat he did not want to test.

Naruto closed his eyes tightly, slowing his panicked breaths the best he could in order to concentrate. The cloud of confusion was beginning to clear up, but nothing he did could help the hammering in his chest. He opened his eyes to a bright nurse's office, his indications were the patient bed and the counter with various 'harmless' medical equipment. The words 'Assistant Head Nurse' also labeled the top of the door was coming into focus.

Kakashi was standing in front of the door with a clear look of worry creating another deep frown. Naruto gave him a small nod, hoping it would indicate that he was okay.

"Are we done with the lovely freak out?"

He turned his head, noticing a blonde woman in a white lab coat standing against the wall with her arms crossed. She had a healthy creamy complexion with bright hazel eyes that seemed more fiery than they were tender. Despite the straight coat hanging off her shoulders, it was still apparent that she had the definable curves of a woman, especially when it came to her distractingly large breasts which he could not stop glancing over as he studied her.

"What, kid? See something you like?"She snorted with an arrogant smile.

As an immediate defense, he scoffed, "Don't flatter yourself!"

"With all your gawking, I think you've done it for me just fine," she added with a smirk.

"Excuse me?"

"Tsunade, please don't engage him like that," Kakashi pleaded with exasperation. "It's hard to calm him down once he's provoked."

"You do know I'm _right_ here, correct?" Naruto grumbled.

"Relax, doc," Tsunade jeered with a dismissive wave. "I gave him a little morphine before he woke up. He should be calmer any moment, now."

"You WHAT?" he shouted, inspecting his arms until he found the tiny red dot. "Why would you do that?"

"After what Kakashi told me, I figured it was the only way to keep you still when you woke up in an unfamiliar place," she explained as if the reasoning was obvious.

"Don't just assume things like that!" he yelled, though he couldn't keep from sounding whiny much to his dismay.

"Keep your panties on, kid," she retorted, blowing him off faster than she had Kakashi. "It's a small dosage; just enough to take the edge off while you gather yourself."

"I am gathered!" he growled, feeling his face become unbearably hot as he almost lost his footing. There was a buzz in his head that vibrated lightly, making its way down his spine until it settled into his skin with a pleasant heat. "You..." he muttered with a defeated sigh, unable to conjure the energy to shout. "You're the ones who need to gather yourselves."

"Why is that?"

"You're all insane," he spat with a livid glare her way, feeling his sweat making his hair stick to his forehead.

"Because of what Kabuto did to Sasuke?" Tsunade asked as he pushed a chair his way, "Are you saying we are somehow responsible for that?"

"You're the assistant head nurse! You are right under him!"

"I do _not_ work for that lunatic," she declared with a vicious sneer that made him flinch.

He reached out to the chair, taking a seat while trying to focus on the room again. Kakashi was leaning against the door, the same indifferent expression washed out any readable sigh of guilt or pleasure. He knew what kind of treatment Sasuke was going through yet deigned not to tell him anything. What other kind of horrors did Sasuke have to endure on the second floor? How could Kakashi stand there so calmly when he valued his patients, as well? At least, that's what Naruto was made to believe...

"You look like you want to say something to me," the other man finally broke the tense silence. "Or rather, like you're reading too much into a situation that you're not fully aware of."

"Explain it to me then," he snapped, casting his gaze down to the faded blue linoleum. "What detail is missing that makes what I just saw 'okay'?"

"We never said it was okay, kid," the blonde woman grumbled with a click of her heels as she walked to the counter. "Naruto Uzumaki," she read off from whatever she was holding. "All the medication you're currently taking, I want it brought to me by tomorrow morning."

"What?"

"And you will come see me for a regular check up every week while you're here."

"Like hell I will!" Naruto barked as he jumped up to his feet. "What deluded you into thinking that I'd want to see you, _ever_?" He shot an accusing glance to Kakashi who only shrugged in reply.

"This is not a discussion," she affirmed as she slapped him lightly with a release for that had his next appointment date scribbled in red. "Take it up with your regular doctor. He's the one who called."

Suddenly, his face went cold and hands became clammy as his grip crushed the paper. "My..." Another apprehensive look was sent to Kakashi before Tsunade interrupted again.

"Before you get pissy, I can assure you that I uphold patient confidentiality. Not even Kakashi will know."

He looked back at her, obviously stricken with more doubt and insecurity than he really cared to show. Who exactly was this woman and why was he being forced to face her like this? Why hadn't he been given the choice before a piece of his world had been handed over to her without him knowing?

"You look a little better," Kakashi commented as he opened the door. "Follow me. Your next session will be starting soon.

"My next..."

"Kiba," he answered plainly while gesturing toward the hallway. "He doesn't like to be kept waiting."

Naruto hesitated, his thoughts were slowly returning to him but he did not have the clarity to focus on any of them. When his eyes finally met Tsunade's again, he noticed that they did not glare back at him, but matched whatever faint grief his held with a deep, yet soothing, sympathy. He broke away from her stare, focusing solely on Kakashi's heels as they led him back to the lobby and into the office.

"I'll warn you know; Kiba hasn't been himself, lately."

"You're not going to tell me what's going on, are you?" he grumbled as he plopped onto the long leather sofa. "Do you expect me to just be silent about what happened?"

"I know you're upset," Kakashi answered, his voice much too passive to be trusted. "But please trust me when I say that now is not the time, nor is this the place for this discussion."

"Why the hell should I?" He shouted, sitting up to face the doctor so that he knew exactly how _upset_ he was. "What makes you think I'm going to trust you after that?" He stood up, his thoughts were racing too fast and his body could no longer keep up. "I trusted you."

"And I am calling upon that trust to plead with you. Now is not the time," Kakashi beseeched him as he took a step toward the blond. "Please, be patient."

"Don't fuck with me! Why should I—"

"Do you have a secret, Naruto?" The question alone moved him to silence. "I think you do," Kakashi continued as he began to approach. "So, as someone with a secret, you should know what it's like, right?"

"What _what_ is like?"

"To know that you would do absolutely anything to keep that secret safe."

At times, Naruto would feel as if he had the doctor all figured out only to be grandly disillusioned. The man before him was too shrouded in mystery to figure out and the only thing he had left what Iruka's unyielding trust in him. Perhaps, that would have to do for the time being. He closed his eyes with a shake of his head, attempting to fight back the urge to shout some more. When he regained his composure, he chanced to look Kakashi in the eye. He was naturally drawn to the scar, always wondering how he had gotten it but knowing that the answer would not be an easy on to come across. After absentmindedly theorizing, it was not a question of what had left the scar, but who.

"Kiba," Naruto finally spoke more evenly deciding to place what little faith he had left in Iruka's judgment. Kakashi was his only ally for the time being. "What's up with him?"

The doctor smiled in mild appreciation before handing Naruto the manila folder. "You'll have to see to fully understand."

The statement was too far off to believe. As he remembered, Kiba was not one to let outside influences openly bother him. For him to be anything other than predictably hostile was hard to imagine. At least, that's what he had thought. When the door was unlocked and the patient was revealed, Naruto was not met with the disgruntled shout he expected, or rather hoped for.

Kiba sat in a curled ball at the corner of his bed that was closest to the wall. His face was buried in his knees, his arms wrapped around himself as if he were cold. There was a slight rocking to his body that completely ceased as Naruto pulled the chair closer before taking a seat.

"Good afternoon, Kiba." He flinched, puzzling the blond even further. "I've arrived on time for our session, just like we've discussed."

"You came back." The brunette's voice was like a growl, but much slower and without the impatience from before. "Why?"

"I said I was here to help. That hasn't changed." That much he could say with some self assurance. "I'm here to help you."

"You can't help me," the boy muttered disdainfully. "You can't help anyone."

Naruto bit his tongue lightly, noticing that his hand was already jotting down his responses despite the slight numbness. "How would you know? I haven't tried."

"Yeah, you did," his reply was more bitter. "Haku says we can't trust you, and since the day I met you I believe it."

"That's ridiculous," he cut in, annoyance evident in his voice. "I haven't done—"

"YOU HAD ME PUT DOWN, JACKASS!" Kiba suddenly roared as he leapt to a standing position, making the young man wince in anticipation. "I try to be good! And I thought, for a second, that an idiot like you would see that!"

"But I did see it, Kiba," he assured, trying to maintain a calm expression in the face of a violent outburst.

"What do I have to show for it?" the boy attempted to yell once more, but his voice turned into a whimper. His expression softened to the point that it seemed he would start crying. "I can't do anything. Everything I do hurts me. Even the old man can't keep from hurting me all the time and I know you will too."

"No, I won't," he pleaded as he took hold of the boy's hand. "I won't ever try to hurt you.

"You're a liar."

"No, I'm not." He was not sure he had the conviction to stand by that, though. He was suddenly horrified at how familiar it felt to talk to Kiba that way.

"Why should I believe you?" Kiba snarled, his gaze turning cruel.

"Because I know how much it sucks to be lied to."

The answer was more for comfort than the value of honesty. More than anything, Naruto had felt manipulated rather than deceived. However, he could not vow to purge such a tactic because that was the entire point. Lying to Kiba would only exacerbate the situation, so the trick was to make him think that there was a solution, something within his grasp that was tangible enough to believe. But the way manipulation worked was not making him believe he had the answer to the problem, but that the solution was always there when it wasn't.

That was psychology.

* * *

**A/N: ** Let me start by sincerely apologizing for the long absence. All I can say is that the real world is a cruel place, and I hope you will forgive me for letting it distract me for so long. Thank you for your understanding and patience and, again, I am incredibly sorry.


	8. Jekyll

**Chapter Seven**

"_Hi__**s**__ aff__**ec**__tions, like ivy, we__**r**__e the growth of tim__**e**__, they implied no aptness in the objec__**t**__."_

_-R.L.S., "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"_

* * *

"He actually used to have a frequent visitor..."

"I assume we're not talking about Kiba, are we?" Kakashi questioned while glancing up from his paperwork. "His mother visits him two to three times a week."

"No, Haku," Naruto muttered the reply. He hadn't meant to start a conversation, but the discovery could not be contained in silence. "In a lot of these notes, a man named Zabuza is mentioned a lot. He used to check in quite often when Haku was admitted, but it seems he stopped being mentioned about a month ago." This was all the information he could gather since a lot of the reports he read had blacked out information. He wasn't even sure who the one who took the notes was.

The room was quiet as Naruto flipped through a few more pages, looking up after a few seconds to see if Kakashi was paying attention. He wasn't.

"Did you know him?"

"Why would you assume that?" the doctor asked, eyes not lifting from his desk.

"I mean, did you ever see him when he visited?"

"Entirely too often."

Rolling his eyes at the man's sarcasm, he continued. "What kind of guy was he?" He wasn't sure where the question came from, but he was curious about the company a boy like Haku could keep so often. "Did he get kicked a lot?"

"He didn't antagonize the patient," Kakashi commented with a wry smile as he stacked some papers together.

"Shut up. Can you give me more information? All visitors should be registered, right?"

"It would be a long process. Even the staff registers and we're logged in for our sessions. The list could get extensive before you could bring up that information."

"Is that your way of saying no, then?"

"Yes, it is. You don't need Zabuza to figure Haku out."

"He has barely talked to me these past few sessions," the blond groaned, leaning back in his chair.

"You don't ask the right questions," the man mused with a smirk, "Probably out of fear of being kicked."

"Shut. Up." He grumbled a bit more as he tossed the file back into his pile. "How long until I'm allowed to see Sasuke?"

"Orochimaru graciously agreed to wait until Sasuke stabilizes before he is exposed to anyone else."

"Bullshit," he snapped with a glare towards the second floor. "He's probably—"

"Naruto," Kakashi interrupted firmly. "You'll be late."

He bit his tongue, cursing himself for trusting in a man who refused to reveal anything of importance to him. Before he knew it, almost a week had passed and the question of Sasuke's well-being faded into the background as he continued sessions with Kiba and Haku. Even the lobby had become a more familiar place that he would visit without Kakashi's supervision, but he had yet to see Orochimaru or Kabuto since that day. The feeling it gave him was unsettling, yet the only thing that could set his mind at ease was to focus on his work. However, neither prospect was turning up with favorable results.

What were they doing to Sasuke on the second floor? Was he hurt? Were they still going through those "sessions" with him? Questions like that only infuriated him, making him regret his decision to trust Kakashi. How was he supposed to know if he was okay?

"Dr. Hatake, I'm sorry to disturb you." The very sound of his voice made Naruto cringe with annoyance.

"It's not a problem at all, Neji," Kakashi assured as the other young doctor stood in front of the desk. Naruto tried to keep his eyes on his papers to resist the urge to stick his tongue out. That would show him.

"I was hoping to have a look at last year's paperwork."

"It's so rare for you to reference your notes," Kakashi said almost teasingly. "Are details slipping your mind in your old age?"

"Coming from the crypt keeper?"

"Hey!"

Naruto couldn't contain an amused snicker at the other man's joke. "I didn't know you had a funny bone in your body," he commented understatedly.

"And I have yet to know if you have an intelligent bone in yours," Neji shot back so quickly that the blond wondered if he was anticipating it.

"Impressive. It took a mere _one_ sentence to warrant an asinine remark," he snapped, picking up Haku's file again to try and find something else to occupy his mind. "Get lost, the adults are working."

"Then what will you be doing?"

"KICKING YOUR—"

"Naruto!" Kakashi cut in as Haku's papers hit the desk again. "Enough. Neji, I will get back to you soon with those files."

"Thank you." The pale young man turned on his heels, his ponytail swishing slightly as he glanced down to meet the blond's glare with an even-tempered smile that was anything but cordial.

Before the office door could drift back to a close, Kakashi's gaze turned cold as he shook his head with disapproval. "Three seconds. You two can't be in the same room for more than three seconds?"

"Blame him! I was trying to make light conversation!"

"Your comments are unneeded, Naruto. Choose your battles more wisely."

"The better point should be that there shouldn't _be_ a battle," Naruto mumbled with a roll of his eyes. "I don't have time to analyze his inferiority complex, though I imagine it stems from a daddy issue of some sort."

When he was not immediately cut down with a backhanded reply, he hesitated. His blue eyes trailed back to Kakashi slowly, not knowing how to decipher the doctor's expression. He looked pensive, however mildly confused. The emotion flickered with uncertainty in his eyes somewhere between shock and disbelief, but it was difficult to pinpoint when he remained silent.

"What?" he challenged, put off by the response.

Kakashi took in a breath for another short pause before stating, "You're speculating. Your appointment is in five minutes. You should go."

Naruto gave an exaggerated groan. "I don't want to!"

"It's you who will deal with the consequences if you're a no-show."

"You might as well say 'it's your funeral'," he griped as he pushed himself up from the chair. "Don't think I'm letting this Zabuza thing go just because I got distracted."

"By the way, have you seen my book anywhere?" Kakashi asked as he slipped his reading glasses on. "I seemed to have misplaced it."

"Are you talking about 'Jekyll and Hyde'? I borrowed it," he answered with a simple shrug.

"You've been attached to that book since you got here. I wouldn't have guessed you were a fan of the classics."

"You're speculating," Naruto pointed out with a smirk. "So you _did_ plant it here."

"On the contrary, I'd say it belongs."

The youth couldn't help but let out a grunt as he made his way toward the door. "Because a story about a lawyer stalking a mad scientist contributes so much to psychology."

"You miss the point, Naruto. A simple man observes the duality of human nature between, who he believes to be, two different men."

He stopped at the door, suddenly uneasy with the tone the older man had taken. "You mean one good and one evil?"

"They're one in the same," Kakashi confirmed, "It exists in all of us; the two balance each other out. It is how much of our darker selves, or out Edward Hyde, that we allow to control our better peace of minds, our Henry Jekyll, that defines us. The more Hyde you allow, the more you set yourself apart from the rest of society. That evil changes us, deforms us, and suddenly it is the only thing that we can identify with."

"So what happens when Hyde overpowers Jekyll?"

"You become the worst kind of person, I'd imagine," Kakashi replied with a lighthearted chuckle, seemingly unaware at how wary Naruto had become.

"What happens to Jekyll?"

To that, Kakashi took another moment to think before giving an offhanded shrug. "He ends up in here. Why?"

Naruto shook his head as he opened the door. "Just making sure."

* * *

**A/N: **Well, hello there. I can try to explain, but I'm sure you'd appreciate another chapter first.


	9. You Underestimated

**Chapter Eight**

"_H__e had an approve__**d**__ tolerance for others; som__**e**__times wondering, al__**m**__ost with envy, at the high pressure __**o**__f spirits i__**n**__volved in their misdeeds…"_

_-R.L.S., "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"_

* * *

"I made it very clear that I'm done talking. I'm not your damn patient!" Naruto exclaimed after a short gulp of water.

"And that's where you're wrong, kiddo!" Tsunade countered triumphantly. "The second you walk through that door, you're my bitch!"

"Asking me uncomfortable questions is not your job!"

"It's exactly my job," she scoffed. "I'm a licensed therapist."

"You're a nurse," Naruto jeered, "and a crazy one at that. I'd never come here if it wasn't for..."

"Whatever your problems are, you can take them up with Iruka. Doctor's orders."

His fists went tight, teeth clenching in a brief moment of anger before it was released just as quickly. He tried not to bring himself to worry about the matter. In fact, he had crafted a schedule of his free time that had him doing tasks that did not have anything to do with staring at his cell phone. It was an inevitable collision and he was bracing himself for impact, however begrudgingly. Yet, he could not keep the persistent questions at bay, and he could only wonder what the ungodly hell Iruka was thinking by trusting such a strange woman with all of his secrets.

He was exposed before a complete stranger, and there was no way to divert the attention away from his imperfections. He could not hide. Was that what it was like to be a patient in the Konoha District? To have every flaw and mistake you've ever made written and analyzed on a piece of paper before you even met with someone face to face?

How was it for Sasuke? The origins of a man so disturbed were still a mystery, and the story did not seem at all complete. How much of Sasuke's darkness could he uncover if he was given the opportunity? Who would he identify with? Jekyll or Hyde? He remembered the kiss, shuddering slightly as he tried to press down his anxious response. There was still too much that he did not know, and that was where the imbalance lied with Sasuke.

"You seem distracted," Tsunade's voice cut into his questioning thoughts.

Naruto looked up, clearly worn out with all the fighting he had done lately. "Annoyed."

"Moody," she corrected with a cocky sort of smile. She was a confident woman and, though he would rather be kicked in the stomach before he admitted it aloud, she was very capable of doing her job and making him feel as if his secrets were safe.

After they fell into silence, and a heated staring contest, the door to the office suddenly opened, hitting the wall lightly before the other person walked in. Naruto turned his head, curious, only to tense up once again at the sight of Orochimaru. Tsunade's reaction was hardly any different as she greeted him. "Doctor, I wasn't expecting a visit from you."

"Oh, I've just been looking for our dear Naruto to check up on him," he replied, his voice low but with a bemused undertone. "What brings you to our nurse's office this afternoon?"

"Headache," Tsunade answered immediately before Naruto could think to open his mouth. He looked at her curiously, but her eyes were fixated on the uneasy presence in the room. "Since your visit with Kabuto, the stress has given Mr. Uzumaki frequent headaches."

"Is that so?" The man did not seem convinced, but the satisfied smile remained etched across his pallid face. "You don't have to lie on his behalf, Tsunade. I'm sure he can answer for himself."

Both of their gazes converged on him and he felt his chest go tight. His eyes darted between the two of them, unsure of what either of them wanted. Tsunade's expression remained stern, though her eyes were pleading for something else. When he finally glanced back to Orochimaru he was petrified, stomach sinking and heartbeat rising as he began to fumble for the words.

"Headaches..." He finally uttered to his surprise. "You can't expect me to go through something like that without straining me, somehow."

"I see." The man's smile did not falter. "Well, it is for the best that you know your patients. You would have had to see it sooner or later."

Naruto glared back at the man who met the gaze with a confident smirk. He wanted to challenge Orochimaru, to bite back and ask him about what kind of facility he was running. Last he checked, torment was not a viable option for therapy. However, the look in Tsunade's eyes kept him from taking whatever bait the doctor was laying out for him, and saving his questions for a better time. Something was going horribly wrong in the Konoha District, and it seemed that pointing out the obvious flaws in their system would only worsen the situation. Tsunade and Kakashi would not even give him a straight answer about what was going on, and they were, unfortunately, the only allies he had in that place.

"You'll be seeing Sasuke, soon," Orochimaru stated as he turned out the door, taking only a single step before Naruto spoke up.

"I don't know what the hell you have going on here," he growled, much to the dismay of the blonde nurse who hid her face behind a clipboard, "but I know it's wrong, and it has to stop."

For a second, everything went silent, and the stillness grew into a tension that made time move agonizingly slow. He heard a temperate beating in his ears that faded with every careful breath he took, trying to keep himself from losing his cool. To hell with whatever Tsunade and Kakashi were trying to protect him from; he could not turn a blind eye as Sasuke and however many others were being subjected to that kind of torture. If they weren't going to help him, then he would do it himself.

The man looked back, his sneer much wider and more threatening than he had seen before. There was an excitement in his eyes that made him look insane, but a look of arrogance that accepted the blond's challenge. "An interesting notion, indeed." Orochimaru turned back as he continued his way out the door. "I'd like to see you try."

* * *

"What have you done?" Kakashi scolded lightly as they passed through the lobby, and into a different hallway.

"I'm not sure, but it wouldn't hurt if you'd enlighten me," Naruto commented with a roll of his eyes. He knew that the conversation was inevitably leading toward more misdirection which made it feel like all of his questions were rhetorical. They entered the familiar setting of the empty office space. "I'll only entertain this 'quiet game' you and the old lady see to be playing for so long, but only because I'm curious." He tossed one of his folders onto the armchair, giving Orochimaru's portrait a quick disdainful glance before focusing on Kakashi.

The man stared back at him, unmoved by the slight warning that the apprentice tried to implicate. "No, you're not."

Naruto practically snorted in disbelief, crossing his arms as he prepared to lash back. "Do you seriously think I—"

"—won't say anything," Kakashi finished as he took his seat at the desk. Naruto tried to avoid sitting behind the desk whenever they had their appointments. From there, everything appeared smaller and, somehow, farther away than he would have liked. "You won't, if you know what's good for you."

"Don't fucking threaten me!" he snarled, throwing his journal at the man's face. "You don't scare me!"

The doctor merely ducked. No look of frustration or even mild anger could be seen as he leaned over and picked the object from the floor. He should have known; the very second he stepped foot into this place, he should have known that something was very wrong. He couldn't trust the only person who could help him, and he still had no idea of what other horrors were lurking behind every sealed door.

"It's not me you should be worried about," Kakashi stated. "I gave Iruka my word that I would help you."

"I don't believe this," he muttered, swiping the journal from the man's hand. "Some help you turned out to be."

"And I suppose you've made some great progress in helping others since you've been here, am I right?"the doctor replied with a more familiar smirk.

"Shove it. I'll get what I need," he said with a dismissive wave. "I'm just not sure how."

"Patience."

Before Naruto could reply, there was a soft knock on the door. "Haku is here for his appointment," Lee announced before letting himself in.

Without hindrance the bickering stopped and the room became silent. Naruto tried to compose himself as he attempted to make eye contact with the patient who only stared down at his hands defiantly.

"Good afternoon, Haku," he greeted, deciding to keep standing rather than sit beside him. "I hope you're feeling better. You've hardly talked to me lately, but I really hope we can move forward today."

Haku said nothing, reminding Naruto of Sasuke a bit too much and he tried to suppress a quiver. However, the situation was less frustrating because there was still a distinct difference. Haku still responded. Naruto tried not to smirk as he noticed the quick eye roll as he seated himself. There was only so much a person could contain when they felt strongly about anything. While Kiba would choose to verbally assault anything that looked at him wrong, Haku deliberately let his contempt show through body language.

No, Haku was no different. He may have been reluctant to show it, but he felt things just as passionately as Kiba, but chose to remain silent. What was it that moved him? What were the buttons that pushed Haku as far as he went when they first met?

"It's been a while, though, hasn't it?" I'm sorry I've been so busy lately. I'm sure you enjoyed the time off," he explained with a cautious stare. Haku leaned into his hand, his eyes never leaving the floor.

"Why are you telling the other patients not to trust me?" he asked, particularly curious. "What do you gain from it?"

"Whatever you lose," Haku answered stiffly, catching Naruto completely off guard.

"Not working with me is your loss, Haku. Not mine," he stated, making sure not to glare. "We don't get along famously, but at least allow me the chance to try."

"You had your chance to try, Mr. Naruto," Haku began with an agitated sigh. "Your method bores me and your shallow approach to just about everyone is why I warn them about you."

There was a stifled snicker from Kakashi, who seemed to be trying his best to look preoccupied with something else. Naruto sent him a warning look, his patience was already being stretched as thin as it could go. Why wouldn't anyone take him seriously?

"You're right," he agreed, earning nothing less than wide-eyed shock from both of them. "I'm incredibly self centered as far as psychology is concerned, so it's hard for me to do things without help," he explained, noting the suspicion that eyed him closely from both sides of the room. "So, I wonder if Zabuza would be willing to help me."

He had never regretted a sentence more in his life than that one. Haku stood, his eyes burned wildly, reflecting the orange of his scrubs. His body was rigid, trying to contain all movement to just a few slight twitches in his hands. The baffled apprentice looked back at the desk only to realize that Kakashi had already fled the scene, sure to return with backup. Hopefully not Lee; he didn't seem like someone who would be of any help. Before he could think of much else, Haku was in front of him. The wild look in his eyes was maniacal, borderline animalistic. He felt cold, like ice being melted down to nothing at all as the boy's slender fingers took firm hold of the blond's throat.

"You are an imbecile!" he seethed, his voice taking a tone much darker than he seemed capable of. "There s nothing you can do for me, for us. Leave it—SHUT UP!"

Naruto was forced back, stumbling into the armchair with a rough cough. He made no move to try and push back, only capable of staring up into eyes of flame and amber. He really did resemble a woman. It wasn't something he necessarily did on purpose, but there was an advantage to his appearance that gave him the upper hand. Everyone underestimated him.

"I SAID SHUT UP!" he shouted once more, digging his nails deeply into the sensitive tissue of the blond's neck. "You can't help me!"

"Knock it off!" Naruto yelled as he pushed him back with a swift kick. "I am _not_ the cause of all your damn problems!"

"You're making it worse! You're a fucking idiot!"

"Haku! Calm down or they'll sedate you!" Naruto tried to take hold of the boy's shoulder, but failed when he sank into himself.

"He can't help me..."

"Who can't?"

"You're no different," Haku croaked as he hugged himself tighter, "I can't be helped, and you'll end up leaving me too."

"God, just shut up already," Naruto huffed as Lee reentered the room. His wide eyes went between the two, obviously having expected a more violent scene. He rushed to Haku's side to help him up without saying a word. The patient stared back, however, disillusioned from his panicked state, perhaps seeing Naruto for the first time.

"You're only allowed to bitch _after_ I've left you. I'm still here," he added with a small gesture.

"He won't help you," Haku muttered as they walked past. "I'll answer your questions, but only if you leave Zabuza out of it."

They paused at the doorway, Haku's eyes were of a clearer shade. The purest amber lacquered and framed within long lashes like a still picture that paralyzed him. He had known, somehow, that everything was deliberate. Whether one chose to calculate, act with violence, or not at all, it was still an indication of whatever dwelled inside. In those eyes, no longer shrouded but shining with such brilliance they almost appeared red, he could see their subtle surrender, no longer withholding in order to give Naruto a glimpse.

A demon lied within.

* * *

"As I recall," Kakashi began with a shake of his head down at the paper being shoved at him, "the deal was that Haku would cooperate if you left this Zabuza thing alone."

"I have a perfectly good reason for this... I lied!" he snickered as he forced the memo into the doctor's hands. "I need you to turn this in to Orochimaru. I don't care who does the digging, but I'm requesting the log of all Haku's visitors within the past six months."

"If you're going to be a manipulative prick, then do it yourself," Kakashi replied snidely as he tried to hand back the paper.

"I have some more digging to do before we visit Sasuke later," he admitted as he lifted his hands. "Please, I just need you on my side for this. Zabuza is the missing piece to this story. How can I help Haku if all I receive is a fragment?"

"Trust your patient and respect his wishes," the doctor answered tersely, though making no further move to return the memo. "Are you really so conceited?"

"You should just be happy I haven't reported you yet!" he commented, not really meaning any true threat by it, but he couldn't help but sound vicious.

Kakashi stopped him at the office door, looking back at his apprentice with his usual languid expression. "And what, exactly, have I done wrong?"

Naruto hesitated, thinking back to when he first arrived. Dr. Kakashi Hatake was undeniably smart and intuitive. He was sly with his cleverness and fully accepted responsibility for his apprentice upon arrival. He held himself to higher standards and enforced them too often to ever be questioned. When interacting with patients, he was nothing but kind while being completely perceptive to their needs.

He was let in, turning back before the doctor could leave it to silence.

"Nothing. You did absolutely nothing."

* * *

**A/N: **So, a direct reason would be that I lost someone very dear to me. However, it is only part of the long novel of a journey that documents my absence, but I won't bore you with that. A lot of my free time lately has actually been devoted to writing and completing an original novel of mine (also a psychological thriller) and it is currently being edited. **And that was the nutshell. XD**

****I do apologize, from the bottom of my heart, I do. To make it up to you, I'll upload another chapter tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow. Here's to a year filled with more focus. I hope you are all well.

**Next Chapter Sneak Peek:**

_"Get that thing off of him. Now!" When the guard seemed reluctant to move, he grabbed him by the collar, trying to force him to budge."I SAID NOW!"_


	10. Nothing More

**Chapter Nine**

"_A__**n**__d st__**i**__ll the fi__**g**__ure had no face by w__**h**__ich he migh__**t**__ know it; even in his drea__**m**__s, it had no f__**a**__ce, or one that baffled him and melted befo__**r**__e his ey__**e**__s."_

_-R.L.S., "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"_

* * *

He kept looking behind him, paranoia eating away at his nerves with every pounding step that echoed as he ascended toward the second floor. He wasn't entirely sure why the sudden urge hit him, but when Kakashi left to drop off his memo, he needed to make his move. It was unannounced, much too early for the appointment, but he had a feeling it was his only chance. _A chance for what?_

Finally, he reached the top, looking down the endless rows of concrete and metal. There was an eerie feeling that overtook everything else. The air was colder, and his body felt heavier whenever he made it to the second floor and he could never make that feeling go away. The echo of his footsteps became more hurried, filling the corridor with an irregular drumming that made his heart beat faster. He stopped abruptly, almost skidding to a halt before the metal contraption labeled "Hall 4". That was the one, though his impulse had failed him and he was left at a loss for what to do next.

A security camera looked down at him from a high vantage point. He stared back, almost quizzically, debating whether or not to try and contact someone through the intercom.

"Hey!" The shout made the blond jump back to the other wall with his heart lodged in his throat. A large burly guard was making his way toward him. "What are you doing here?"

"W-wait! J have an house call with Sasuke Uchiha!" he blurted as he backed away from the man's brisk advance.

"Not at this time, you don't," the man returned with a threatening bellow. "Get out!"

"No! Wait! O-Orochimaru sent me!" the words fell from his mouth illogically, and he had no choice but to go along with them.

"I don't think so, kid," the man snorted as his giant hands grabbed the baffled apprentice by the arms and lifted him up with ease. "Go get him so he can tell me himself."

Naruto tried to keep his feet on the ground, dragging in resistance as he was carried back towards the stairs. "Stop! You don't think that making him come up here just to talk to _you_ won't be a enormous waste of his time? He wanted me here early and there's nothing more to it!"

The guard stopped, lifting Naruto higher to meet his eyes with a challenging glare. "You expect me to believe that the big man sent you without Dr. Hatake, a clearance badge, or any notice? You think I'm an idiot?"

"That's right." The voice was a recognizable kind of hum that did not even reverberate off the walls. Even so, it was enough to make the guard's grip go tense, making the blond wince at the pressure.

Naruto craned his neck back in order to find the speaker standing between them and the staircase. He caught a glimpse of gleaming silver and piercing steel eyes that sent a shudder down his spine.

"K-Kabuto, sir..."

"If you'd be so kind as to let our guest stand on his own two feet, it would be appreciated."

"Of course!"

His hands released the blond who fell immediately to his knees which were incapable of supporting anything. He could feel his body wanting to cringe, inwardly protecting itself from whatever that murderous stare was plotting. Of all people why did it have to be that guy? Kabuto continued to walk past them, not once looking back at the apprentice or the guard. "I can confirm that Orochimaru has sent Mr. Uzumaki here for an earlier appointment. I'm sure the room is secure enough by now."

"It will be, sir, it's just—"

"Now." The command dropped from the man's graceful tongue before he continued his casual pace toward the end of the hall.

Naruto looked down at his knees, trying to remember how to breathe once the uncomfortable presence had passed. His hands were trembling and his neck felt hot with a burn that spread up towards his ears. What the hell was that man planning? It would have been too easy to reprimand him for trying to lie his way into Sasuke's room, but to go along with it? There was no way he could trust whatever intentions he had to satisfy his own sadistic needs. What was there to see when a visitor came unexpectedly?

The guard gained clearance into Hall 4, leading Naruto down to the familiar door with the painted seven. At that moment, the guard was hesitant, looking back at the apprentice with a forlorn expression that seemed to silently warn him of whatever was waiting beyond the door.

"I really hope you know what you're doing, kid."

Naruto could only nod in reply, unable to shake the fright that was trying to reason with his better judgment.

_Turn around! This is stupid!_

_Whatever Kabuto wants you to see can't be good! Go back!_

_You still have time before Kakashi finds out you came this far!_

But his feet were rooted to the ground, determined to push forward. He had to see Sasuke. It was all he could think about for days and he could not stand it any longer.

"Hall 4 to Solitary. Open up number 07."

"Roger."

A small click from a nearly silent latch gave way, and the door was pulled open. There was no chair for him to sit in, and no zip ties to restrain Sasuke if he became as violent and panic stricken as when he was last seen. Naruto almost had to shield his eyes as he stepped forward. The room was as white as ever, but much more blinding than he remembered, leaving him to gape at the patient that sat stiffly at the center of his bed.

Sasuke was a haunting figure to behold with his sharp frame barely hidden beneath immaculate white clothing. He could have disappeared into the room were it not for his charcoal locks that framed his face, haphazard in length. There was a gleam of silver that rested on his shoulders, and when he knelt down to get a better view, his suspicion became horrifying reality.

The frame was simple in design, but bolted to security. A collar with a number of screws facing the center, digging mercilessly into his neck where Naruto could see only the slightest hint of breath, or maybe it was just a pulse. At Sasuke's collarbone he could see where blood had since trickled down and rested in the slight crevice, dry from countless hours he must have spent trying to adjust. The screws themselves looked jagged, some already lodged into the flesh where shredded skin was left to dangle from the metal.

He felt sick, resisting the urge to vomit on the spot, and he fell back onto his hands. His mouth was open in a scream that had no courage to manifest itself into anything more than a shallow gasp. Sasuke's eyes opened at the sound, making the blond jump back to his feet in alarm. Red. His eyes were bloodshot to the point that he couldn't even recognize them as human. He didn't move his head; instead, his eyes moved for him, spoke for him while he could do little more than sit in silent torture. How long had it been like this?

Naruto turned immediately on his heels, pounding at the door before it was quickly opened. "Get that _thing_ off of him. Now!" When the guard seemed reluctant to move, he grabbed him by the collar, trying to force him to budge."I SAID NOW!"

"You have no idea how much trouble—"

"TAKE IT OFF!" His screech was almost inhuman, stirring those who dwelled within the hall and inviting piercing cries that made his adrenaline pulse even more. With another try, Naruto whirled around, practically throwing the man into Sasuke as he staggered in astonishment at the blond's strength. "Now."

The guard looked up at the security cameras warily before nodding, taking out a key that looked more like a lock pick. "Hold his arms."

The command took a second to register as he gathered himself again. The heat was beginning to burn in the pit of his stomach, and it was nauseating. Regardless, he complied by kneeling in front of Sasuke, whose eyes were once again closed, and taking a firm hold of his forearms. The guard reached behind him and, in one fluid motion, unlocked the contraption before jumping back for the door. It happened so fast that Naruto was unprepared for the amount of strength Sasuke used to rip away from his grasp and leap after the guard.

The door slammed to a close with Sasuke's fists pounding the hard metal in tandem with the others that boomed on the other side.

"Sasuke! Stop!" he pleaded, wrapping his arms around the other man's slender waist and pulling him back with struggle. "It's off! Calm down!"

Sasuke fell back onto the bed, leaning his head against the wall his deep exaggerated gasps that made Naruto wonder if he had been holding his breath the entire time. He looked down at the open collar, still red with blood that forced Sasuke's silence as well as obedience. How could one refuse to do anything more than exist as a still figure because any breath or motion would only cause a chain reaction of agony? He looked back at Sasuke's neck with the bright red marks dotted across his flesh glowing vibrantly against his skin. This had been happening since the beginning.

"It's easy to feel sorry for me, isn't it?" he asked, his chest flattening with one calming sigh.

"W-what?" Naruto stammered, standing upright in order to compose himself.

"Do you feel sorry for me, now?" his voice was still again, and his body remained motionless. "I figured you would."

"What are you talking about?"

Sasuke didn't move. His eyes were half lidded with exhaustion, but he made no other signal, not even a twitch, and it was like the collar had been locked back onto him. That was the condition he would continue to be in whenever visitor came, and no one would ever be able to tell the difference. There was more to it, there had to be, but when Naruto did, for a moment, feel pity for him he was faced with the reality of the circumstances.

"The pain gives me nightmares. I dream about hurting people," Sasuke began to speak again, though his lips barely moved, practically murmuring.

"Is that so?" Naruto asked as he cleared his throat, leaning against the door to gain a clearer state of mind.

"I play with fire and I like the smell of blood."

"Sasuke."

"When people talk to me I fantasize about breaking their necks."

"You're lying." The statement was enough to make the raven-haired patient straighten himself against the wall, eyes still clouded but with certain alertness to them. "Why are you lying about those kinds of things? If the wrong person heard that, it could only become worse for you, so why?"

"Did you come here just to call me a liar?" He wasn't looking at anything in particular, but perhaps somewhere far off and unreachable at that point. "Shouldn't you have a notebook or something?"

"Would you like me to bring one next time?"

"It would benefit you, wouldn't it?"

"Just answer my question, Sasuke," Naruto snapped, trying not to lose endurance or nerve, but it was hard to keep both under control when he was standing so close. Nothing was stopping Sasuke from retaliating or threatening him, or maybe it was something he couldn't see.

"I'm a horrible person," he stated plainly as if reading a textbook definition. "You know it, too. I'm the worst kind to ever exist."

"Who told you that?"

"You did, of course."

"I never said that..."

"Now, who's the liar?"

"Sasuke..."

"It's been ten minutes," Sasuke cut in rather curtly.

"Sasuke!" Naruto growled as he took hold of the other's chin and forced him to look up. The Uchiha's eyes went wide for a moment and all the rumbling in the background turned to nothing as their gazes locked. There was a look of clarity reflected within the darkness of his eyes as they studied the blond's face from the familiar situation.

"Oh. It's you."

Without another word his eyes rolled to the back of his head, lids slowly casting down as his entire body fell forward. Naruto dropped to his knees and quickly caught Sasuke in his arms, hearing the door being pulled open behind him which let in the explosive screams and wails from the outside. His head was spinning from the sound, and the smell of bleach burned his nostrils and his eyes. For a moment, he forgot who he was and where they were as he stared down at the patient who laid sleeping against his chest with his cold pale skin and resting eyes. His gentle rhythmic breathing moved against his own and, finally, Naruto knew that he was real.

There was him, and nothing more.

* * *

**A/N: **See, I remembered. :)

**Next Chapter Sneak Peek:**

****_"You've been avoiding me."_


	11. Light as a Feather

**Chapter Ten**

"_It seems __**s**__carcely a house. __**T**__here is no othe__**r **__door, __**a**__nd nobody goes i__**n**__ or out of that one but, once in a __**g**__reat while, th__**e**__ gentleman of my adventu__**r**__e."_

_-R.L.S. "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"_

* * *

"I win!" Naruto declared as he displayed his empty hands.

"_No!_ You get a card for saying 'I win', asswipe," Suigetsu jeered as he threw two cards back at the disappointed blond.

Sakura giggled while fanning herself playfully with the cards while batting her eyelashes at Tenten. They were joined by a young man in blue uniform named Shino who was permitted to wear sunglasses and medical mask due to his social anxiety disorder, though he never said much. Whenever Naruto needed to get away he had made it a habit to visit the lobby and play cork at the card table with whoever happened to be sitting there. Suigetsu and Sakura dominated the table mainly, but there were times when there was another blonde girl in blue named Temari would join and sometimes even Kiba.

"Since when was getting _two_ cards a rule?" he asked with a slight glare.

"Since right now, Doc!" Suigetsu answered with a cackle.

"Hey! If the doc says he wins then he wins, you cheating bastard!" Kiba interjected by slamming his hands on the table. He hadn't been a part of the game, but he was lingering nearby for whenever he felt like arguing with someone. "You're always making shit up!"

Suigetsu stood to the challenge as he brandished his fist. "Wanna say that to my face, mutt?"

"FUCK YOU!" Kiba barked as he tried to leap over the table only to be caught by Shino who stood in his way. "Let me go he is just ASKING for it!"

"Not worth it," Naruto whispered as he set the angered brunette straight, letting the other boy take his seat. "Besides, I'm cool with it. I don't have to win."

Kiba huffed bitterly with a disdainful glare to the other patient. With a flip of his middle finger he said, "Well, if he's cool with it then I'm cool with it. Forget you faggots."

As he parted Sakura stuck her tongue out at him before using it to lick her lips slowly. She winked at Naruto, making him more uncomfortable as she scooted closer to him. Along with having a good time away from his actual patients, it gave him more insight onto their problems and just how severe they were. With Sakura, it was a seemingly hopeless case of HPD. It wasn't as clear or identifiable at first because she had not approved of him. But once a sort of friendship was established among the group she started to exhibit egocentric behavior that required his approval for just about everything. The way she did that was make awkward sexual advances that only made his discomfort more noticeable. She was not medicated, she was much too outspoken for that, so he had to trust whatever psychotherapy she was going through and let her down gently.

He turned his head over to Tenten who kept her cards close to her chest. It wasn't until after their second game that he realized she wasn't trying to hide her cards, but her arms. They were marked and maimed with long vicious scars that ran up into her sleeves. Her scars were slightly raised, but unnoticeable to anyone who wasn't looking for them. They caught his eye one day when she put down her last card, showing her empty hands in sign of victory. That's when he noticed the pale lines that ran jagged and twisted down her arms and even some were slightly visible around the collar of her shirt. He shuddered to think of what was used to make such gruesome marks, and even more to think that she had done it to herself. She was well behaved, soft spoken yet firm with whatever she said, and he never heard of her ever having behavioral problems. He figured that was why she was dressed in green.

"Light as a feather, straight as a rainbow," Suigetsu mumbled, still feeling hostile from Kiba's outburst.

Naruto stared down at the Jack of hearts as he set his cards down on the table. Sakura changed the suit with a knock on the table, and the game continued on with few to no words. The lobby door opened behind them, the grating metal hardly bothered him anymore having heard it so many times. He glanced back as he set down a 3 of spades, raising a brow in puzzlement at seeing Neji standing by the lobby door with a girl standing next to him. She was wearing green, but that was all that was fairly noticeable about her before Sakura's squeal made him flinch from the sudden noise.

"It's your turn and we've been _waiting_," she pointed out with a huff, not seeming too pleased that his attention was drawn elsewhere.

"You get a card for taking too long," the other boy added as he tossed a card from the top of the deck.

He groaned with exasperation, realizing that Tenten had left the table and suddenly the game didn't seem as interesting. Aside from seeing him interact with Kakashi or when he was acting like a complete dick toward Naruto, he had no idea what Neji was like as a licensed professional. What was he like with his patients? Was he stern and blunt or was he understanding a patient? How could someone who obviously looked down on just about everyone come to treat a patient with empathy?

"Doc! Where are you going?" Suigetsu called after him but Naruto was too focused on following Neji across the hallway where he met another nurse.

"Hey, Neji," Naruto began as he stepped up next to the man who immediately ceased talking. "I was wondering..."

"Why, Mr. Uzumaki," Neji interjected with his tone as sharp as ever, "it is quite _rude_ to interrupt when someone is talking, especially when the conversation did not concern you."

"How many patients do you have?" he asked, dodging the fight before it could start.

"Excuse me?"

"Are they all green or do you have a variety of them? When do you even hold session?"

"That's none of your business."

"You've been to the second floor, haven't you?" he was not sure why he was asking anymore.

"Twice," Neji spat, growing more irritated as he tried to turn away from him.

"So, you've seen Sasuke Uchiha before, haven't you?"

"Stop this, now."

"Who was the patient you—"

"_Naruto_," the use of his name made the blond stop, amazed at his own curiosity when it came to the Hyuuga. Neji was glaring at him again, but with a distinct warning that threatened to punch the apprentice in the face if he dared to continue. With a short breath he looked to the nurse, who stood in silent shock while gripping her clipboard. "I'm terribly sorry. Let us discuss this in the nurses' office where we won't be disturbed."

He sighed as Neji led the woman away. He figured it would have been a long shot, but he decided to provoke him anyway. As he ran his hands through his hair, gathering his thoughts, he turned back toward the table where Suigetsu sat alone with the cards scattered about the table. He found Sakura trying to sweet talk one of the guards at the exit doors, and when he scanned the room a second time he stopped when he found out where Tenten had gone. She sat at the far corner against the wall lined with plastic chairs, her arm draped around another girl. They both seemed calm, and content with each other's company as they chatted quietly by the window, undisturbed by the more aggressive patients who stormed about the room. He walked up slowly, only catching Tenten's attention when he had finally gotten too close.

"Did you need something, Doc?" she asked, making her friend let out a small squeak before she hid behind her. However, he did not automatically assume the gesture was out of fear or paranoia, but of shyness.

"Not particularly," he answered with a casual shrug, taking a step back to give them more space. It did not take him long to realize that the girl behind Tenten was the one that Neji had walked in with. "I was just hoping I could meet your new friend."

"She's not new."

"It's just that I've never seen her before," he corrected himself as he kneeled down to try and catch the other girl's eye. She had short dark hair that shined with a midnight blue tint in the sunlight that washed over them. There was something warm about her, yet he could not tell if she had more defining features. "Hello, my name is Naruto Uzumaki."

"I know who you are..." she murmured. Her voice was soft, almost inaudible as she spoke which made him strain to hear her. She sat up, one hand still clasped onto Tenten's sleeve as she looked him in the eyes.

Pale eyes, striking yet terrifying at the same time. He knew where they came from.

"What is your name?"

"I'm not supposed to talk to you." She seemed determined, yet still not as confident as she would have liked to be as her eyes dropped to the ground.

He nodded, knowing that persisting could only make things worse as he saw clearly with Neji, the man with the same eyes as her. "Of course."

His head felt heavy as he stood and made his way toward the lobby exit, feeling his phone go off in his right pocket. His heart sank and the questions were swarming around him still, with new ones that wondered if he was the only one that was left in the dark. Would someone like Neji approve of the downright cruel things they did to the patients on the second floor? If he had only been up there twice, there was no way he could have known. Did Kakashi keep it from him?

As he made it to the end of the hall, his phone began to buzz a second time. He closed his eyes as he made it back into Kakashi's empty office, holding the buzzing phone in his hand for a moment before it stopped. It was going to happen whether he wanted it to or not, and after the couple of days he had he wasn't sure what he was running from anymore. He took the time to inhale slowly, pushing the green button as the phone began to resume vibrating in his palm.

"Hello."

"You've been avoiding me."

The words brought an onrush of emotions that spun around his head so fast that he couldn't keep up. First, there was annoyance which deepened to anger and settled into, what felt like, an uncontrollable rage. But then, it dissipated, melted into something more somber and agonizing. Regret. He regretted answering the phone.

"I had every right to."

"Did you?"

"What do you want me to say?" Naruto asked, close to whimpering. "After what you did..."

"I'm not there to monitor you,"

"You said I didn't need to be monitored! You said you trusted me!"

"I also trust Kakashi, Naruto," Iruka explained as gently as he could. His voice was always so warm and inviting, and it made him feel special because he was the only one who heard him like that.

"I'm _not_ talking about him!"Naruto snarled, his grip tightening around the phone.

"Fair enough," Iruka agreed, "Relax your hands; we'll talk about something else."

"Do you trust the old lady, too?" he asked, trying not to notice how his fists had let up.

"Do you not?"

"That's not the point," he muttered, "You didn't even ask me first. I was blindsided."

"It was rather rash, but I am not just your guardian, so I made the decision as a doctor."

He didn't know why, but that comforted him. It may have been odd, but when he was so far away it was nice to feel like there was somebody he could trust more than anybody.

"Whatever..."

"How are you doing with your patients? Any progress?"

Naruto winced. "No, not exactly."

Iruka sighed and he could just picture the man shaking his head like he always did. "You're aggravating them, aren't you?"

"They aggravate me first! Not everything is my fault. It's a compulsion."

"Don't use that word. It's your responsibility, Naruto. You're supposed to help them, not throw them off balance."

"A lot of good the old way was doing them!" he retorted, cracking his knuckles at his side. "I needed to get their attention somehow."

"I suppose that's true."

"Why did you pick me anyway?" he questioned, staring down at the unresponsive phone screen. "It's because I'm your 'son', isn't it?"

Iruka was quiet for a while, but he most likely knew what he was going to say. He always did. Even when they fought and got on each other's nerves, Iruka always knew what to say. A soft knock brought his attention to the door where Kakashi was beckoning him to follow quickly. There was a noise on the other line, but he was not sure if it was an actual response. With another hurried wave from Kakashi, Naruto closed his phone. He already knew the answer.

* * *

**A/N: **Thank you all who took the time to review and favorite this story. It really means a lot that you've taken to the story so well. The next chapter will be up very soon.

**Next Chapter Sneak Peek:**

****_"Who's they?" Naruto asked as he put his pen to paper._

_"They," he reiterated for emphasis. "They are them. They want to do downright cruel things to you." _


	12. Presumptuous

**Chapter Eleven**

"_It was alrea__**d**__y b__**a**__d enough when the na__**m**__e was but a __**n**__ame of which h__**e**__ coul__**d**__ learn no more."_

_-R.L.S., "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"_

* * *

He squirmed uncomfortably as he followed Kakashi towards the stairs, unable to erase the vague images of the day before as they flooded back to him. A hand had wretched him free from Sasuke and dragged him from the hall, leaving only the sight of swarming guards behind them, but Naruto had been too dazed to speak or to question where he was going or who he was with. He could hardly remember what he had been doing, but Sasuke was involved, and he was falling backwards and away from the darkness and the strong odor it carried. When he opened his eyes, he saw the ceiling of Kakashi's office, but the doctor was nowhere to be found. Without much memory or care, he left, still unsure of what would become of him once word had gotten to Orochimaru. It wasn't until Kakashi interrupted the call with Iruka that he began to feel the weight of whatever consequences lay ahead. He stared at the back of the man's head, not sure of what to say in order to get a conversation started. He knew that if he just stuck around, the man would eventually come to him.

Kakashi stopped at the foot of the stairs that led to the darkness above which made the blond stagger nervously. "I trust you know your way up."

"What?"

"Your appointment upstairs. You know where to go, right?"

"You're mad at me..."

"No," the man stated, turning to look at his apprentice with a forlorn expression. It was not anger or spite, it was deeper and that much harder to understand or look at. Was it worry that strained his brow and made him look much older with the noticeable frown that marred his usual stern expression or the natural kindness in his eyes? What was it?

"You're not coming with me?" Naruto finally asked as they stood in silence.

"I have my own obligations to attend to. I trust you know your way," he stated again, putting emphasis on something, but it was hard to trace. What was Kakashi feeling? What was he thinking? Was it betrayal?

"Naruto nodded, still unsure about his attitude. "I think so. It all looks the same to me."

"Don't worry if you get lost," Kakashi assured as he looked up with a joking smirk. "All of the hallways loop together. But if all else fails, there's always the North Star."

"Ironic that you use a star as a symbol to escape a prison," he commented with a grunt, walking past the doctor and starting up the stairs. His legs began to weigh him down again, making him trudge upwards.

"Naruto." He stopped, looking back to see the usual confidence of the man had returned. "Do your best."

He smiled wryly in reply, continuing his way up while trying to stay positive. Why hadn't anyone talked to him about Sasuke? There were no warnings, no mention of reprimand, not even a stern finger wag from Kakashi which was what he anticipated most. As he turned a corner he glanced up at the ceiling. It wasn't nicely paneled like the first floor but open with large pipes running alongside the walls. Beyond that was blackness, nothing to see in the depths that stretched upward.

As he approached the broad sliding door with a new guard waiting, he cleared his throat to signal he was ready. The white-washed smell was enough to make him dizzy as he entered the concrete room, looking at the black plane of glass apprehensively wondering if anyone was in the other room. Sasuke was sitting in his chair, only mildly restrained at his ankles and knees. His hands were folded properly in his lap with a single zip tie around his wrists, but not anchored to anything else. His eyes were closed, his expression blank without reacting to the noise Naruto was making. The red marks were still as deep and distinct as ever, making him resist the urge to cringe visibly. Did Sasuke remember anything? How coherent had he become over the days?

"Good afternoon Sasuke. Have you been well?"

"I have," the answer was immediate as he opened his eyes to look directly at the apprentice. "I've been on my best behavior."

"Have you?" a shiver trailed up his spine before crawling down his skin. There was something about his voice when he listened passed the hoarseness and it became something more like velvet. Soft, yet still somehow discouraging.

"Yes, the very best. They say they'll take off my restraints if I keep it up."

Who are they?" Naruto asked as he put his pen to paper.

"They," he reiterated for emphasis. "They are them. They want to do downright cruel things to you."

Another shiver ran up his arms at the pace they were keeping. Sasuke had never been so articulate before with his eyes less blurred. He was staring right at Naruto. "May I speak to them?"

"Of course not," Sasuke said, leaning back to look up. "It would compromise progress. Why would you need to talk to them?"

"To see if you're really on your best behavior," Naruto stated, getting to the main point he wanted to address. "You're lying to me again, aren't you?"

"If you suspected that already then why would you believe me if I told you 'no'?" he questioned darkly drawing his gaze back to meet the blond's. Cordiality got him nowhere, so he must have given up.

"You don't need to lie to me, Sasuke," Naruto continued, unmoved by the question. His right hand was scribbling away at the corner of the paper as he spoke. "I'm here to talk to you, nothing more."

"Why would I talk to someone who doesn't trust me?" The question was meant sarcastically, but he did not pick up his tone.

He stopped for a second before answering, "I do trust you, in my own way. You're very clever, Sasuke. I'm more concerned that you're using your intellect for more devious purposes. Is that why you lie to me?"

"You think I'm clever?" he mused with an instinctive smirk tugging on his lips. "I'm glad to know you think so highly of me. You really are kind."

"Are you trying to beguile me, Sasuke?" Naruto asked while tapping his pen against his chin. "You know that won't work. It won't work on anybody once they've caught on."

"That's awfully presumptuous of you, isn't it?" he countered, his gaze turning sharp and making the blond want to back away. "To what purpose should I bring anyone closer?"

"Genuine conversation," he said with another quick scribble. "Not something you can mold so easily."

"If it's so easy, why not take advantage of it?"

"Are you admitting that you are attracted to those that are powerless against you?"

"What does that say about you, then?" Sasuke replied more curtly. There was a moment where the air became hard to swallow, and Naruto's hand froze in mid sentence. "You're being presumptuous again."

"Are you saying you're attracted to me, Sasuke?"

"Do you think it's strange, Doctor?" he asked with the most unnatural smile that turned Naruto's stomach. Smiling did not suit him. It never would. "Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"Do you remember your sessions with Dr. Yakushi?" Naruto persisted with questions, anything to keep his hand busy so he wouldn't sit in stillness. There was a continuous shudder that was making his entire body shake and a moment of hesitation would reveal it to Sasuke.

"I don't know who you're talking about."

"Sure you do," Naruto continued with a nod. "To you he would appear... as a faceless man in white."

There was a twitch in his dark brow, a faint curl of his lips before he asked, "Why don't we just skip to the part you actually read about. The part about the fire and the animals."

"Now who's being presumptuous?" Naruto asked, straightening his posture with a slight shudder. No matter what he said it seemed Sasuke ended up getting his way. What could he do to keep up? What could he do to make him look away? "But if _you_ want to talk about them, go ahead."

"It fits the profile, right?" he answered, his stare remained unwavering. "Small animals are helpless, useless, and disposable. To be frank, I was quite proud of that collection. It gave me control over something as well as something to do. It's better than what I could have done to real people."

He nodded, although he was completely disgusted. The profile did tell that there had been hundreds of mutilated creatures. Their mangled and twisted bodies were found nailed to dozens of trees. It was right, but something still wasn't sitting well enough with him. "I think it's interesting... how you use the word 'control'."

"Do you?"

" You're lying to me again, aren't you?"

"It's been fifteen minutes," Sasuke stated blankly and, like clockwork, the door opened.

Naruto gave a feeble smile as he sat back in his chair. "Fair enough. But next time Sasuke..." He held the young man's attention as the guards released him from the chair. "I want to talk about what scares you."

Sasuke looked slightly puzzled and thoughtful for a moment before the blindfold was thrown over his eyes, allowing Naruto his first liberating breath since he entered room.

When he made it down to the first floor, his nerves caught up with him. His hands were shaking and his chest felt incredibly tight. He actually talked to Sasuke and vise versa, and he cursed the shortened time span that kept him from soaking up all he could. What was going on inside his head to make him say the things he said? What was his true reaction to being called a liar? So many questions fell about with their answers just around the corner, but he felt as if he had no access to them. He stumbled a bit, lost in thought before letting a frown set in. He had been so preoccupied he forgot to ask him about what other tortures he endured. For a moment it was all so forgettable.

Sasuke had been the one to lead them from one point to another and he did it so artlessly. He was more formidable than he anticipated.

* * *

"What the hell is wrong with him?!" he shouted while clutching his head to keep it from splitting in two.

"He is ill, Naruto," Kakashi stated, calmly seated at his desks with paperwork scattered about. There was an old cardboard box to the right of him and a small television cart had been wheeled in to his left while Naruto had been out.

"You should have gone with me. You shouldn't have left me alone like that."

"He won't talk if I am present, Naruto. I've told you this."

"But he's been coming down from his drug high!" he insisted. "His mind is clearer!"

"Which makes it that much easier for him to shut me out," Kakashi explained. "He is your patient. Not mine."

"There's so much more to him," he snapped while tapping the file. "He's a goddamn psychopath!"

"Sociopath," Kakashi corrected.

"It's the same damn thing."

"No, it isn't," the man cut in, his tone rising to overpower Naruto's ranting. "The sooner you figure out the difference the better off you'll be as a doctor." The blond remained silent, feeling as if picking that particular fight would yield yet another victory for Kakashi. The man sighed and continued thoughtfully, "Antisocial Personality Disorder. Very malevolent."

"That's the problem," he grumbled, "he just doesn't seem violent to me."

"Did he kiss you again?"

"SHUT UP."

"Naruto, you can't make baseless assumptions and change a diagnosis," Kakashi explained, "It's written that way for a reason."

"Why the hell can't I just _ask_ his previous doctor? He could tell me why Sasuke was given that diagnosis."

"_She_, along with Orochimaru and I, did his initial evaluation two years ago, and until she is off her leave of absence there will be no contact with her."

"Brilliant."

"I'm sure you read about the animals."

Naruto grimaced, trying not to picture the image of the wooded path lined with entrails. It was enough to make his head spin. "What makes a human being do something like that to another living creature? People who can't tell right from wrong?"

"There is a place for people who can't tell, and there are other placed for people who distinguish the difference, but choose to do wrong anyway," he clarified, looking up to make eye contact. "Sasuke was very aware of what he did and how society views it."

"He committed a crime."

"One beyond human understanding," he pointed out. "Do you think he enjoyed it?" Naruto paused, trying to think about the way Sasuke continued to lie to hm. Was it to hide the fact that he had no other reason than sheer pleasure, or was that what he wanted Naruto to believe? What purpose would that serve? It was something beyond his comprehension, something untreatable and almost too unreal to reach.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore. Did you get me Zabuza's visitor profile? It wasn't included in the logs."

"Those forms are not to be used in therapy. They are strictly for record keeping."

"Well, where can I find it?"

"Orochimaru's office I'd imagine."

"Well, ask him for it."

"I already told you that's not happening. Besides, we are leaving for a conference with the board this weekend. We have a lot to prepare," Kakashi coughed out as discretely as he could.

"What? You never mentioned anything about us leaving."

"It was short notice but is very urgent," he began, "and you're not going. You have appointments."

"I'm even more uncomfortable with _that_," he spat. "You're leaving me? Isn't that a bit… irresponsible?"

"We'll be back by Sunday evening, Naruto," Kakashi retorted with a small smile. "Are you saying you're going to miss me?"

"Yeah, as if," he scoffed. "What do you need to see the board for? Did someone finally turn you quacks in?"

"Again with your assumptions," Kakashi said in a near groan. "We are reviewing the progress of certain individuals."

"Meaning who?" he asked, unable to keep from sounding suspicious. "Sasuke?"

"Several patients," he explained before Naruto could go off. "Most of them are in white, but there are a few other colors. The meeting was just called yesterday, so I have to prepare."

"I want to go!" he whined. "This is my chance to bring up the things they do in here!"

"Orochimaru specifically said that you are to remain here and complete your duties. That is why you're here."

"Why do you let him get away with this?" he growled. "Do you know that Sasuke is in a _choke_ collar when no one else is there? Where's the psychology? How does that help?"

Kakashi's lips twisted into something of a frown as he ran an index finger slowly over his scar. His eyes stared past Naruto, clear of interpretation and into some place that was shut in. Perhaps it was something he had never seen, something he never wanted to know. "Naruto, it's out of my hands."

"Bullshit," he muttered. "Is that what you told Neji when you took him up there _twice_? That is was out of your hands?"

"Neji works on the first floor. He doesn't know," Kakashi answered, his finger resting by the corner of his eye. "He never took charge of Sasuke; he merely observed him once."

"Well isn't that just special," he growled. "I get the fucking nutcase."

"Severe disturbance was never Neji's field," the man explained, turning in his chair to look at the small black TV screen. "That's why he switched to be another man's apprentice. Dr. Guy who specialized in more clinically curable disorders like depression or trauma."

"Why?"

"What does that matter?"he asked as he turned his attention back to Naruto.

"That girl is his sister, right?" the blond persisted. His questions were haphazard and far reaching. It seemed that every curious thought to cross his mind would jump to his tongue before he could catch himself. There was no tact when all patience had been lost and he was grasping for just about anything.

"I applaud you for noticing a slight resemblance." Kakashi jeered, trying not to smirk at Naruto's attempts. "But she isn't his sister. This whole misdirection tactic was very poorly done as well."

"His cousin—Whatever!" he grumbled with a roll of his eyes.

"That's something that doesn't concern you," the man stated, unmoved by the mild tantrum. "Evaluation, observation, and treatment are your concerns when it comes to Sasuke."

"But not Haku or Kiba?"

"Sasuke is the reason you're here. Be sure not to forget that."

"What was all that jargon about helping people, then? Do they not matter anymore?"

Kakashi stared at him unsympathetically with his hands loosely clasped at his desk. There was a brief spark of irritation in his eyes that was quickly replaced by a look of complacency. That was the major difference between them; Kakashi immediately let go of anything that agitated him. "You're here for Sasuke. Haku and Kiba were placed in your care so that your days would be productive and to help our staff. But I can change that until you live and breathe Sasuke Uchiha."

Naruto's chest went tight. His fingers were fidgeting at his sides with the prospect settling into his mind. He hadn't the need to think much of Sasuke with Haku and Kiba to fill in the gaps. They brought out a different state of mind in him that was not nearly as unnerving as the stillness he received from Sasuke. Black eyes leered at him dauntingly, picking away at him piece by piece until there was nothing. Nothing to hide.

"You can't do that."

"I can and will," Kakashi reassured. "It's time to reevaluate your purpose. _Who are you?_"

Naruto faltered. "W-what?"

"I asked 'what are you here for?'" the doctor reiterated, "What did you think I said?"

He shook his head, looking back at the office door. "Nothing... I'll be right back."

"_Who are you?_"

He stopped and looked back. "Say again?"

"Where are you going?"

"The nurse."

* * *

**A/N:** I'd like to thank you guys for taking the time to review, message, and favorite this story. It means a lot :)


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